A new piece of public artwork has divided the people of Folkestone.

Titled 'OK' (Untitled Action), the work can be seen on the outside of the HOP Projects CT20 shop front, which is in the heart of the town's Creative Quarter in Tontine Street.

The entire building has been turned into a monolith; with its shutters drawn and windows blocked, the site has been completely gilded in gold-leaf while the word 'OK' has been scrawled over the surface in gestural thick lashings of black paint.

The piece, which has been capturing the eyes of on-lookers as they walk past, was produced under lockdown by Mexican artist Stefan Bruggemann, and commissioned by not-for-profit arts organisation HOP Projects CT20.

The use of gold leaf, historically reserved for artworks representing spiritual symbols or intended to convey economic power, contrasts with the graffiti-inspired writing, an unceremonious and immediate form of expression.

Stefan said of the work: "This false note generates a doubt in the mind; it prompts the viewer to consider what it means to be apolitical, contented, or simply 'OK', in the current political climate.

"There is an inherent uncertainty in the word 'OK' and seeing it in this context subverts our expectations - is it a symbol of acceptance of resignation or even hope?

"The meanings of artworks are fluid, often changing depending on the context, and I have deliberately left this installation very open to interpretation.

"It might connect with people in a particular way at THIS very moment, but that feeling they experience might also shift with time."

But since its installation, the artwork has proved divisive.

Nina Shen-Poblete, founding director of HOP, said: "At a time when galleries and museums alike face an unprecedented shift in the way in which art is to be presented to the public, forced by Covid-19 and rules of social distancing to retreat indoors and turn to the digital, we feel it ever more urgent to turn these extraordinary times into a bold and defiant physical gesture.

"We are delighted that the work has drawn much attention - locally, nationally (through mainstream media) and internationally.

"Completed during Covid-19 lockdown, it has allowed people from all different communities and walks of life to express their opinions and to engage with the artwork.

"It has also brought much publicity to Folkestone and its Creative Quarter during these challenging times."

News of the commission has reached The Telegraph, The Guardian and The Art Newspaper.

One of HOP Project's post on Facebook about the work has sparked 450 comments and prompted mixed reactions.

One commenter said: "It's fantastic."

Another said: "I love it and it says a lot to me about the state of the world right now. That gold is greed and that everyone loved it and gold is aspirational, regal, but gold and money is usually off the backs of others who don’t get to share it so I loved it when the graffiti ruined it."

But some people have taken a less favourable view.

One person said: "Worse 'graffiti ' I've seen. What sort of 'art' is that!? It's almost as bad as the 'unmade bed' rubbish."

And another said: "Not keen on the graffiti - there is enough of a problem with vandalism in our town and this is just endorsing it."

A third said: "I love the idea of it, but I think perhaps the graffiti aspect of it could have been done differently to somehow differentiate it from just random graffiti."

OK (Untitled Action) has been commissioned as part of HOP's new programme - Surface Tensions 2020 (ST20).

Folkestone is known for its abundance of public artwork, much of which is left behind from the popular Triennial festival.

The 2020 exhibition has been cancelled however due to the coronavirus outbreak.

In April, a remote art show, inspired by the pandemic, opened in Folkestone, with viewers able to see it online or through the window of the gallery.

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