Golden message: satirical toilet of a hundred kilos of gold goes under the hammer

The fully functioning toilet, made of at least 100 kilos of 18-karat gold, will be auctioned at Sotheby's in New York on November 18.

What do you do when you have a good 100 kilos of 18-karat gold left over? Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan knew exactly what to do: he turned it into a fully functioning toilet. And this brilliant piece of satire, now world-famous, will soon be auctioned off.

On November 18th, the time has come: Sotheby's auction house in New York will offer the only remaining copy of America On, a toilet bowl crafted from solid eighteen-karat gold. Not only a remarkable example of craftsmanship, but above all a work of art full of social commentary.

Cattelan first presented the artwork at the Guggenheim Museum in New York. There, visitors queued to actually sit on the golden pot; over 100.000 people took advantage of that opportunity.

It's the only remaining example. Another was stolen in 2019 from Blenheim Palace in England, where it was temporarily on display. Two men were convicted last summer for the brazen theft, but the artwork itself remains missing. The gold has likely been melted down and sold in a different form.

Cattelan is known for his provocative art. He previously shook up the art world with a banana on the wall, secured with duct tape, and a kneeling Adolf Hitler. America he once again comments on the absurdity of status, power and materialism.

According to Sotheby's, the starting price of the golden toilet is ten million dollars, but experts suspect the artwork will change hands for many times that amount.