[notatoad]

it's a largely flat construction in the desert. it might "stand" for thousands of years, but it'll be covered in sand or other blown debris to the point where it's unrecognizable in ten without constant maintenance. the article quotes $1.3mm annual budget, and i'd guess most of that goes to sweeping.

the average mid-rise building in a real city is much more of a lasting monument than this is.

[ModernMech]

I don’t know. For me personally if I were building something like this for 50 years, I’d be thinking about its fate in 1000 years. Someone will dig this up long after it’s forgotten, and that person/group will experience this art anew, in a completely different way people experience it today. Perhaps that’s part of the intention?

We see how much delight people take in speculating about Nazca lines. As an artist creating a work like this, I might intend to cause that speculative delight for future generations. Maybe in 1000 years people will flock from around the world to see it because of how mysterious it is.