Provocative Gold Toilet Fetches Millions at Auction
In a stunning display of the art market's extremes, a fully functional toilet crafted from solid 18-karat gold sold for an astonishing $12.1 million at a Sotheby's auction. The sale took place on Tuesday, November 18, captivating audiences and critics alike with its sheer audacity and value.
The artwork, provocatively titled "America", is the creation of the controversial Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan, who is equally famous for duct-taping a banana to a wall. Weighing a substantial 223 pounds, the luxurious lavatory started with an opening bid of $10 million before finally being hammered down for over twelve million dollars.
The Satirical Statement Behind the Luxury
Despite its extravagant materials, the golden toilet was designed to be fully operational, just like any standard bathroom fixture. Before the auction, it was even installed in the restrooms of Sotheby's New York headquarters for public viewing, though visitors were strictly forbidden from using it.
Cattelan explained that his intention was to satirize the excessive wealth and inequality present in the United States. "Whatever you eat, a $200 lunch or a $2 hot dog, the results are the same, toilet-wise," the artist remarked. He aimed to place an object of immense, almost priceless value in "the least noble and most necessary place" to highlight the unavoidable connection between high art and basic human functions.
Sotheby's itself described the piece as an "incisive commentary on the collision of artistic production and commodity value." A Sotheby's expert, David Galperin, clarified why public use was prohibited, stating simply, "We don't want people sitting on the art."
Cattelan's History of Controversial Creations
This is not the first time Maurizio Cattelan has caused a sensation in the art world. One of his most famous previous works, "Comedian," featured a banana duct-taped to a wall. That piece became a viral pop culture phenomenon and sold for a whopping $6 million.
The banana artwork faced its own set of practical challenges, requiring multiple replicas to be made after the original fruit either grew moldy and expired or was eaten by passersby. This history of creating thought-provoking and often perishable art adds another layer to the discussion around the permanence and value of his golden toilet masterpiece.
