A New York City museum is offering visitors a chance to use an 18-karat-gold replica of a Kohler toilet starting this Friday.
The fully functional potty is installed in a unisex restroom on the fourth floor of the Guggenheim Museum. Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan, 55, who created the masterpiece, named it “America.”
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Viewers are invited to use “America” individually and privately.
According to the museum’s website, the artwork is “making available to the public an extravagant luxury product seemingly intended for the 1 percent” and “”evokes the American dream of opportunity for all.”
In addition, the fixture has its own full-time security guard to answer visitors’ questions and to ensure the toilet is not vandalized. After all, the market value of the gold sculpture is estimated to be between $1 million to $1.7 million, according to the Fox News.
Thus, the cleaning crew can only use medical wipes that are odorless, colorless, and free of oxidizing agents. They also have to maintain hygiene every 15 minutes, the New York Post reported.
“And we have a steam cleaner that we’ll use periodically,” Nathan Otterson, a senior conservator, said to the publication. “The color is going to change, and we’ll probably be brightening the toilet up with polish along the way.”
The sculpture was made in Florence and the molding and welding process of the gold took longer than planned. As a result, the sculpture arrived a few months late, according to the New York Times.
On another note, it is Cattelan’s first work after he announced his retirement five years ago.
“When I saw it in there the other day for the first time,” Cattelan told the New York Times, “I cried. Well, almost.”
Visitors who want to use the golden throne only have to pay the museum’s admission fee. It costs $15 for adults and it is free for children and members.
The toilet will be there for an indefinite period.
