The British Museum announced that a solid-gold staute of model Kate Moss by artist Marc Quinn will be part of the exhibit Statuephilia, which opens October 4th at the museum.

From BBC News:

A £1.5m solid gold sculpture has been made of supermodel Kate Moss as part of a British Museum exhibition.

Entitled Siren, the 50kg statue was made by Marc Quinn, who described Moss as “the ideal beauty of the moment”.

From the museum’s press release:

Marc Quinn’s solid gold statue, Siren, of supermodel Kate Moss – icon of contemporary beauty and Aphrodite of our times – will find fitting setting at the centre of the Nereid Gallery, interacting with the great Greek beauties that surround it. Quinn’s work is the largest gold statue since Ancient Egypt and will premiere at the Museum.

The museum has released a teaser close-up photo. The statue will be unveiled to the public when the exhibit opens on October 4th.

FYI: £1.5m = $2.8m USD

Art note: Marc Quinn is a “Young British Artist,” a group of conceptual artists who first came to public prominence at the Saatchi Gallery’s 1992 exhibit, Young British Artists. The YBAs often challenge the public perception of art with the controversial art pieces, such as Quinn’s Head, a sculpture made of the artist’s own blood, and Damien Hirst’s animal installations.