Artist Maurizio Cattelan, known for his duct-taped banana that sold for more than $6 million, has once again made noise in the art world. But this time, not because of a strange artwork but because of the loss of his famous gold toilet at Blenheim Palace in England.
Named “America” (2016), the toilet is made of 18-karat gold and weighs 103 kilograms. This is a working toilet that guests can use after booking a time slot. After being shown at the Guggenheim Museum in New York in 2016, it went to an exhibition at Blenheim Palace in 2019.
According to the report, five men carried out a quick and planned robbery. Using two stolen vehicles, they entered the palace around 5 am and within five minutes, they escaped the toilet. It is said that the leader of the group, Michael Jones, even visited the palace before committing the crime. He was joined by Fred Doe, Bora Guck, and James Sheen. Of the four, only Sheen confessed to the crime.
The toilet was reportedly disassembled and sold as parts to a jeweler in London's Hatton Garden. To this day, it still hasn't been found.
Shockingly, this isn't the first time Cattelan's 18-karat gold toilet has been stolen—it was previously stolen in 2019 at the same location.
