Golden toilet "America" sold at Sotheby's auction for $12 million
Kyiv • UNN
The golden toilet "America" by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan was sold at a Sotheby's auction in New York for $12 million to an unknown buyer. The 18-karat gold art object, which functions as a regular toilet, satirizes excessive American wealth.
The golden toilet "America" by Italian contemporary artist Maurizio Cattelan was sold at a Sotheby's auction in New York for $12 million. This was reported by the New York Post, according to UNN.
Details
It is noted that the lot went to an unknown buyer. The artwork, which functions as a regular toilet, was even installed at Sotheby's headquarters in New York for public viewing before the auction.
Sotheby's called the porcelain throne "a sharp response to the collision of artistic production and commodity value." Visitors were not allowed to use the toilet while it was on display.
We don't want people sitting on works of art
Media also reported that a copy of such a toilet was previously jokingly offered to US President Donald Trump. The White House's response was not published, and the copy, owned by the Guggenheim Museum, was eventually stolen during an exhibition in the UK.
For reference
The 18-karat gold art object "America" was put up for auction at Sotheby's on October 31. It works like a regular toilet.
The author of the work, Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan, explained that his work ridicules excessive American wealth.
No matter what you eat, a $200 dinner or a $2 hot dog, the result is the same when it comes to the toilet
Recall
Sotheby's auction house announced the sale at auction of a solid gold toilet – a sculpture by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan called "America." The starting price was equal to the value of just over 101.2 kg (223 pounds) of gold used to make it – currently about $10 million.