Maurizio Cattelan's 18-karat gold toilet 'America' opens at Guggenheim New York
Maurizio Cattelan unveils 'America', an 18-karat gold fully functional toilet, at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York on September 15, 2016. The work is installed in a public restroom for visitors to use. Originally scheduled for May 4, 2016, during Frieze New York, the debut was postponed due to technical difficulties in casting the gold replica of a standard Kohler toilet. Cattelan, who had announced his retirement from art-making in 2011, returns with this provocative piece. The title 'America' and the scatological theme evoke a century-long lineage from Marcel Duchamp's 'Fountain' (1917) to Piero Manzoni's 'Artist's Shit' (1961). The work is for sale, and the museum staff had to adjust cleaning supplies for the golden fixture.
Key facts
- Maurizio Cattelan's 'America' is an 18-karat gold toilet installed at the Guggenheim Museum in New York.
- The work is fully functional and available for public use in the museum's restroom.
- Originally scheduled for May 4, 2016, the opening was delayed due to casting issues.
- The toilet is a replica of a standard Kohler model, cast in gold.
- Cattelan had announced his retirement from art in 2011 but returns with this installation.
- The title 'America' and the scatological theme reference Duchamp's 'Fountain' (1917) and Manzoni's 'Artist's Shit' (1961).
- The work is for sale; the museum adjusted cleaning protocols for the gold surface.
- The installation opened on September 15, 2016.
Entities
Artists
- Maurizio Cattelan
- Marcel Duchamp
- Piero Manzoni
- Wim Delvoye
Institutions
- Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
- Kohler
- Frieze New York
- Artribune
- New York Times
- Toilet Paper
Locations
- New York
- United States
- 1071 5th Avenue, New York