missing - one golden toilet

[mr friendly guy]

No, I am not joking

Thieves snatch an 18-carat gold toilet valued at $1.8 million from Blenheim Palace
Updated earlier today at 5:41am

Burglars have stolen a fully functional 18-carat gold toilet from Britain's Blenheim Palace — the birthplace of wartime leader Winston Churchill — where it had been installed as an art exhibit, police say.

The toilet, valued at more than $1.8 million, was part of an exhibition of work by Italian conceptual artist Maurizio Cattelan, which opened two days ago at the stately home about 95 kilometres west of London, a major tourist attraction.

The palace, completed in 1722, is the current residence of England's 12th Duke of Marlborough, James Spencer-Churchill.

"Thieves with at least two vehicles broke into the palace and removed the toilet some time before 5:00am (local time)," Thames Valley Police said.

"Due to the toilet being plumbed into the building, this has caused significant damage and flooding," Detective Inspector Jess Milne added in a public statement.

Police said they had arrested a 66-year-old man in connection with the theft, but had not recovered the artwork.

'Whatever you eat, the results are the same'

The toilet, named America, was previously on display in a cubicle at New York's Guggenheim Museum, where more than 100,000 visitors were able to use it.

Cattelan intended the golden toilet to be a pointed satire about excessive wealth.

Previously he has said that "whatever you eat, a $200 lunch or a $2 hot dog, the results are the same, toilet-wise".

Prior to the theft, Edward Spencer-Churchill — who had previously staged large contemporary art exhibitions at his step-brother's palace — told The Times newspaper that the toilet would not be very easy to steal since it was connected to the palace's plumbing.

Blenheim Palace officials said they were "saddened" by the theft but "relieved no one was hurt.

"We knew there was huge interest in the Maurizio Cattelan contemporary art exhibition, with many set to come and enjoy the installations," the palace said in a tweet.

"It's therefore a great shame an item so precious has been taken, but we still have so many fascinating treasures in the palace and the remaining items of the exhibition to share."

The building was closed to the public on Saturday but the palace said normal operations would resume on Sunday.

I know this is meant to be satire, but don't people consider everyday things made out of gold (when other cheaper materials are used) to be bad taste?

That being said I am trying to give two shits, but find I am not able to for some reason.

[Zaune]

So, it's not a trophy of war one of the Guards regiments looted from Saddam Huseein's palace? Huh...

[Solauren]

Disconnecting a toilet from pluming is very easy. Depending on how new the installation, all you need is a pair of vice grips and the right socket wrench, and about 15 minutes.

Still, this has to be an inside job, if true and not publicity. Otherwise, why did the large valuable chunk of gold NOT have at least a video camera linked to an armed guard watching it?

[EnterpriseSovereign]

It made the news here in the UK as well, some say it must have been an inside job. Because gold is almost twice as dense as lead, that toilet must be heavy as fuck, to the tune of 100 kg or so. Not something that can be done without a great deal of planning.

[tezunegari]

It made the news here in the UK as well, some say it must have been an inside job. Because gold is almost twice as dense as lead, that toilet must be heavy as fuck, to the tune of 100 kg or so. Not something that can be done without a great deal of planning.

If the toilet is valued at $1.8 million (material-wise)... and pure gold, then it should be around 37 kg gold, at least with a current gold price of $48,303.28 per kilogram.
(gold price: Business Insider)

[Khaat]

It's art, not solid gold. The value isn't purely materials.

You could (in theory) have one cast, but it would require unique one-time molds, because casting slip for porcelain toilets won't work with molten gold. So just like the US, "America" (the toilet) is gold leaf and a statement about class(less) opulence and it's commonality with everyday crap.

[Elheru Aran]

I mean. There's a certain conversation to be had about the value of modern art. There's been pieces made of, quite literally, garbage-- to the point where the janitorial staff has looked at it and simply thrown it out, not noticing the label.

Nonetheless the gold, if nothing else, still has an intrinsic value... I suppose it would be no great effort to simply scrape it off once they stole the commode.

[tezunegari]

It's art, not solid gold. The value isn't purely materials.

You could (in theory) have one cast, but it would require unique one-time molds, because casting slip for porcelain toilets won't work with molten gold. So just like the US, "America" (the toilet) is gold leaf and a statement about class(less) opulence and it's commonality with everyday crap.

It's a fully functional, solid gold toilet.

On the throne: what it's like to use the Guggenheim's solid gold toilet
Putting the flash into flush, the museum installed America, a fully functioning, 18-carat gold toilet made by Maurizio Cattelan. And I can confirm that it works
[image of "Amerika"]
New York’s Guggenheim museum unveiled its latest installation on Friday – a solid gold toilet titled America.

The toilet, which the Guardian can confirm is fully functioning, is the work of Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan, who describes the piece as “100% art for the 99%”.

Visitors to the museum are able to use the golden toilet in much the same way as they would use a normal toilet. It is located in a standard, pre-existing bathroom on the fourth floor of the museum, a small placard the only indication of its presence.

The Guardian was invited to use the facilities on Friday morning.
Entering the bathroom, the eye was immediately drawn to the toilet. The bright bowl glimmered under the bathroom’s harsh fluorescent light, while the 18-carat gold seat looked sparkly and inviting.

The surface proved forgiving on the rear of the thigh and once the procedure was complete, the flush worked like a charm. The golden toilet was able to handle solids.

The toilet was created to the exact dimensions of the Guggenheim’s existing toilets. The museum shipped two toilets to Italy, where Cattelan cast the golden toilet in several parts before welding it together.

Michael Zall, associate director of operations at the Guggenheim, oversaw the installation of the toilet. He engaged the services of a “very professional” plumber, who he said was excited by the prospect of fitting a solid gold toilet.

“When he was here he kind of turned into a little kid, and he said he actually had butterflies,” Zall said.

The toilet was fitted on Monday.

“We wanted to try to get it here and get it in as quick as possible so that we had some time to troubleshoot and make sure everything is just right,” Zall said.

He said the troubleshooting had involved “a lot of flushing”.

“Putting some paper in it, making sure it flushed well, that everything left the toilet.”

In a press release the Guggenheim linked the golden toilet to Donald Trump’s business and political career.

“The aesthetics of this ‘throne’ recall nothing so much as the gilded excess of Trump’s real-estate ventures and private residences,” it said. While Trump is known to have golden chairs in his New York City penthouse, it is not known whether he has a golden toilet.

Cattelan told the Guggenheim that he had the idea for the toilet before Trump’s political rise, but said “it was probably in the air”. He said the golden toilet is in part a nod to Marcel Duchamp’s 1917 artwork Fountain, which was a urinal.

Nathan Otterson, senior conservator, objects at the Guggenheim, is responsible for maintaining the toilet. He said a cleaning crew will attend to the toilet every 15 minutes.

“They’ll wipe down the toilet with a medical wipe that will sanitize it and then at a longer interval it will be steam-cleaned like in a hospital,” he said.

A security officer will stand guard outside the toilet. People will only be allowed to enter one at a time, and bags must be left outside.

“We would hope no one would try to remove part of the toilet,” Otterson said. There has been some internal discussion over imposing a time limit on golden toilet visits, he said, with people potentially being limited to five minutes per visit.

There was a small line of people outside the Guggenheim on Friday morning. A woman called Rachel, who asked that her last name not be used, said she was there specifically to use the golden toilet. She declined to elaborate on her plans, but said she was “excited” at the prospect of using the toilet.

“A friend posted it on Facebook last night,” she said. “It’s hilarious and who wouldn’t want to pee on art?”

Rachel said her most enjoyable toilet experience to date was in Japan.

“They have the best toilets. They have water in them, they’re heated, sometimes they play music. They’re amazing.”

[Gandalf]

I mean. There's a certain conversation to be had about the value of modern art. There's been pieces made of, quite literally, garbage-- to the point where the janitorial staff has looked at it and simply thrown it out, not noticing the label.

Why just modern art? We could extend that and devalue all sorts of stuff.

[EnterpriseSovereign]

It made the news here in the UK as well, some say it must have been an inside job. Because gold is almost twice as dense as lead, that toilet must be heavy as fuck, to the tune of 100 kg or so. Not something that can be done without a great deal of planning.

If the toilet is valued at $1.8 million (material-wise)... and pure gold, then it should be around 37 kg gold, at least with a current gold price of $48,303.28 per kilogram.
(gold price: Business Insider)

It's actually valued at £4.8 million, with the price of gold currently at £38,424 that works out at 125 kg of gold, bearing in mind it's 18 carat so it'll be 75% gold, 12.5% silver and 12.5% copper.

[Khaat]

It's a fully functional, solid gold toilet.

The functionality was never the question.

The toilet was created to the exact dimensions of the Guggenheim’s existing toilets. The museum shipped two toilets to Italy, where Cattelan cast the golden toilet in several parts before welding it together.

This is new info, thanks!