Cattelan's Work Explores the Clash Between Art and Commercial Value
Sotheby's Exhibition... Not for Actual Use
The golden toilet sculpture "America" by Italian contemporary artist Maurizio Cattelan will be auctioned at Sotheby's in New York this November. The artwork is a life-sized toilet crafted from approximately 101.2 kilograms of 18-karat gold, with bidding expected to start at around 10 million dollars (about 14 billion won).
Auction house Sotheby's announced that the sculpture "America" by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan will be auctioned in New York on November 18. Sotheby's
On October 31 (local time), Sotheby's officially announced the auction in a press release, describing the piece as "a sharp commentary on the collision between artistic creation and commercial value." "America" is not merely a sculptural object but a fully functional toilet, which drew global attention after it was stolen during an exhibition at Blenheim Palace in the United Kingdom in 2019.
David Galperin, Head of Contemporary Art at Sotheby's New York, called Cattelan "the perfect provocateur of the art world," adding, "His work always poses fundamental questions about the nature and value of art."
Cattelan is well known for satirical works that mock displays of wealth and social hypocrisy. In a past interview, he explained the satirical intent behind "America," saying, "Whether you eat a 200-dollar lunch or a 2-dollar hot dog, the result is ultimately the same."
The piece was created in two versions in 2016. The one going to auction is the second version, which has been held by an anonymous private collector since 2017. It will be displayed in a bathroom at Sotheby's headquarters in the Brewer Building, New York, from November 8 until the auction. During the exhibition, visitors will be able to view the piece up close, but will not be able to flush it.
The first version was exhibited in a restroom at the Guggenheim Museum in New York in 2016, attracting more than 100,000 visitors. At the time, the museum connected the piece to the actual plumbing system, allowing visitors to use it for three minutes by reservation. Later, the Guggenheim made headlines when, after then-U.S. President Donald Trump requested to borrow a Van Gogh painting, it instead offered this golden toilet.
However, the piece disappeared after it was stolen during the Blenheim Palace exhibition in 2019. Two men were later convicted, but the toilet itself was never recovered. British investigators believe it was likely dismantled and melted down.
Sotheby's declined to provide a specific estimate for the expected final bid at this auction, stating it was "difficult to comment." However, Galperin explained, "If Cattelan's banana-taped artwork 'Comedian' raised the question of how much intangible value can be realized through art, 'America' shows, from the opposite perspective, how an artwork with substantial material value can also embody a conceptual message."
The starting bid for this auction is set at nearly the same level as the raw material value of 101.2 kilograms of 18-karat gold (about 14.3 billion won). In other words, this Sotheby's auction is expected to serve as an experiment in how art can intersect with material value, alongside its artistic significance.
Cattelan has previously drawn attention with several works that shook the art world. His installation "Comedian," a banana taped to a wall, sold for 6.2 million dollars (about 880 million won) at a New York auction last year, while his kneeling Hitler sculpture "Him" fetched 17.2 million dollars (about 2.45 billion won) at a Christie's auction in 2016.
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