The impossible cuboid — A public sculpture appears to form an impossible cuboid.
Look closely. Let the image settle.
Impossible objects / 2008 sculpture

The impossible cuboid

A public sculpture appears to form an impossible cuboid.

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View larger, then trace one connected edge all the way through the object. Compare the local joins with the whole shape.

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History, evidence & image credit

THE IMAGE IN THIS ARCHIVE

Wikifrits

Original file & attribution · Public domain

This locally stored image is a Wikimedia Commons rendition (resized or rendered from the source file). The full original is linked from the source record. Gallery previews may be resized or converted to WebP; animated previews show the first frame.

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Frequently asked questions

What is The impossible cuboid?

A public sculpture appears to form an impossible cuboid.

What should I look for in The impossible cuboid?

View larger, then trace one connected edge all the way through the object. Compare the local joins with the whole shape.

What explains The impossible cuboid?

The photograph records a real sculpture from a chosen viewpoint. Alignment makes separate physical features read as a cuboid whose apparent spatial relations cannot belong to the ordinary solid it suggests.

The impossible cuboid — A public sculpture appears to form an impossible cuboid.

The impossible cuboid