Are you familiar with the 'America', a golden toilet made entirely of 18-karat gold, weighing 101 kilograms? This globally renowned masterpiece is the work of Italian conceptual artist Maurizio Cattelan. First exhibited in 2009, this infamous golden toilet, which more than 100,000 people queued to see, is now back on the market with a starting price of around 10 million dollars.
The artwork named 'America', signed by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan, was first exhibited at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York. Over 100,000 people flocked to the museum to witness this piece. The toilet, made entirely of 18-carat gold, was later displayed at Blenheim Palace in 2019. It never left the headlines of global media when it was stolen during this exhibition.
Now, this infamous golden toilet is set to be auctioned off.
The auction is set to take place at Sotheby's auction house in New York on November 18th. The starting bid for the golden toilet is merely the value of the gold it contains, which is approximately 10 million dollars.
Cattelan, the designer of the golden toilet, has previously emphasized in his statements that his work 'America' serves as a satire of extreme wealth and consumer culture. He summarized his design by saying, 'No matter what you eat, whether it's a $200 lunch or a $2 hot dog sandwich; in the end, everyone is equal in the restroom.'
We are left to wonder, who will be the new owner of this golden toilet?