Summary
29 August 2014
A great number of people have gone to Folkestone beach in the South East of England to dig for gold after a German artist announced he's buried 30 bars worth £10,000. The initiative is part of a local art festival.
Reporter:
John Maguire
The metal never fails to attract attention
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Report
Buried beneath the golden sands of Folkestone are 30 tiny pieces of not silver, but gold. It's part of a project by the German artist Michael Sailstorfer, who buried the treasure by hand and there's no map.
There are two sizes – one worth around £250 and the other around £500 – and it's finders keepers for anyone lucky enough to unearth one.
Beachcombers with metal detectors are out in force. But the artist has also buried metal washers to try to level the playing field.
It's thought some gold may already have been found, but there's plenty left in this art installation. It's called Folkestone Digs and it's certainly living up to its name.
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Vocabulary
- beneath
under
- finders keepers
the right to property given to someone who finds it
- unearth
dig out
- beachcombers
people who make a living searching for valuable things on beaches
- out in force
out in great numbers
- art installation
a temporary form of sculpture using objects and often sound and images
- living up to
fulfilling
