A toilet made entirely of pure gold is set to go on auction this month at renowned auction house Sotheby’s, with a starting price of USD10 million (~RM41 million) making it one of the most valuable art pieces in the world.
The toilet, titled America, is the work of Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan, and Sotheby’s describes it as a satire on the overlap between commodity value and artistic expression. Aside from its hefty price tag, the toilet is fully functional, just like any regular toilet.
Sotheby’s said the auction will take place on 18 November in New York, with the starting price based on the current market value of the 101.2 kilograms of gold used to craft it.
Cattelan is known as one of the world’s most successful contemporary artists. Among his famous works is Comedian, a banana duct-taped to a wall, which sold for USD6.2 million (~RM25 million) at a New York auction last year.
Currently on display in New York
According to Cattelan, America is a commentary on excessive wealth.
“No matter what you eat, whether it’s a $200 lunch or a $2 hot dog, the result is the same in the toilet,” he once joked.
The golden toilet will be on display at Sotheby’s new headquarters in New York, the Breuer Building, from 8 November until auction day. Unlike previous exhibitions at Guggenheim and Blenheim, this time visitors can only view the piece up close, but not use it.
“You can look, but you can’t flush,” Sotheby’s said in a statement.
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