Reddit hit: When a Slovenian sculptor's exhibition goes viral with almost a million views

A sculpture exhibition by Slovenian sculptor Jiří Kočica has gone viral on Reddit, drawing nearly one million views and sparking widespread discussion among art enthusiasts. The post, shared by the artist’s son, detailed the installation titled Matrica, which features a series of 100 seemingly identical yet subtly distinct concrete sculptures. Each piece contains two meters of coiled copper wire shaped into a double helix, symbolizing DNA. One of the sculptures, however, is made with gold wire weighing approximately 16 grams, hidden within its structure. The identity of this golden sculpture remains unknown, even to the artist himself. The only way to determine which piece holds the gold is through destruction. The viral post was posted on August 21, 2026, by the artist's son, who briefly described the exhibition held at the Mulec gallery on Trubarjeva Street in Ljubljani. Within days, the post attracted over 983,000 views, received more than 2,600 likes, and generated 185 comments. The engagement sparked extensive debate among users, many of whom speculated on methods to uncover the hidden gold, such as weighing, x-raying, or using metal detectors. Discussions ranged from philosophical musings on social inequality to reflections on how much individuals are willing to sacrifice for potential gain. Several commenters praised the work as one of the most thought-provoking conceptual artworks encountered online. The exhibition, titled Matrica (meaning “matrix”), consists of 100 cast concrete sculptures, each containing two meters of coiled wire forming a double helix. In 99 of these pieces, the wire is copper, while one is made entirely of gold. The gold-wrapped sculpture weighs around 16 grams and is embedded within the structure. Its location among the others is deliberately concealed, and no one, including the artist, knows which one it is. The only method to reveal its presence would be to destroy the sculpture. This element of uncertainty adds to the conceptual depth of the work, inviting viewers to consider themes of chance, value, and the human condition. Kočica explained that each sculpture represents a family, with the hidden gold symbolizing genetic material present in every cell. He further linked the concept to the work of population geneticist George Price, whose equation of altruism offers a mathematical explanation for why individuals might sacrifice themselves for others. The idea also draws parallels to Marcel Duchamp’s Obrazec Monte Carlo Bond, a work that challenges traditional notions of artistic value and authorship. By embedding the gold within the sculptures, Kočica invites viewers to question their assumptions about worth, authenticity, and the role of chance in determining value. The exhibition’s intrigue extended beyond its conceptual framework. During the show, the price of individual sculptures increased steadily. On opening day, each piece was priced at 250 euros. By the end of the exhibition, the price had risen to 1,000 euros. Buyers were aware that one of the sculptures contained the hidden gold, which significantly increased its value. However, the probability of selecting the correct piece was just one in 100. Despite this, the artwork continued to draw attention, with visitors engaging deeply with its meaning and implications. Jiří Kočica is an academic sculptor and professor at the University of Primorska. His career includes over 70 solo exhibitions both domestically and internationally, including shows in New York, Vienna, and Benidorm. In 2024, his work Objem was permanently installed at the Technical University of Vienna (TU Wien). In 2012, he created the first participatory public sculpture in Slovenia, Izročilo, located in Grosuplj. His works can be viewed at his studio on Trubarjeva Street in Ljubljani and on his website.