America (Cattelan)

America was a sculpture created in 2016 by the Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan. An example of satirical participatory art, it was a fully functioning toilet made of 103 kg of 18-karat solid gold. It was stolen in 2019 from Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire, England, where it was exhibited on loan from the permanent collection of the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York City, United States. Authorities believe the thieves broke it up or melted it down to sell the gold. In 2025, three local men were convicted of its theft. A second casting of America was sold at auction in 2025 for US$ 12.1 million.

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