Press. voanews.com.
If you’ve ever
wanted to use a solid gold toilet, now is your chance. New York’s famous
Guggenheim art museum unveiled the fully functioning, 18-carat gold toilet,
titled “America,” in one of its unisex bathrooms. Museum patrons are invited to
use the golden throne, which is the creation of Italian artist Maurizio
Cattelan, who reportedly stated the art is about economic inequality.
According to the
museum, the toilet is a "a bold, irreverent work ... ultimately reminding
us of the inescapable physical realities of our shared humanity,” adding that
the point of the exhibit is "making available to the public an extravagant
luxury product seemingly intended for the 1 percent."
A New York Times
reporter was able to use the golden throne ahead of its Friday opening to the
public, saying it “looks best when in use, sparkling so much it’s almost too
bright to look at, especially during the flush, which may be a new postmodern
sublime."
According to
newspaper, the arrival of the elaborate toilet was delayed because it was
difficult to install. Its cost was underwritten by private donors and is not
being revealed. The gold commode is to be available for use indefinitely at the
Guggenheim restroom on the fifth floor ramp. This is not the
first time a toilet has been used as a work of art. In 1917, artist Marcel
Duchamp called a porcelain urinal mounted to the wall a “Fountain” creating an
uproar in the art community.
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