18-Karat Gold Toilet

Guggenheim’s 18-karat GOLD toilet set to open to the public (and you can use it for free)

• The exhibit at the New York museum will open to the public from Friday
• Fully-functioning facility was created by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan
• Adult entrance fee is $15 (£11.33) but museum members have free access

• By Qin Xie For Mailonline, www.dailymail.co.uk
• View Original
• September 15th, 2016

Lucky visitors to the Guggenheim in New York will be able to use a toilet that's created from 18-karat gold from Friday.

While many people will work their entire lives and never see a gold fixture, the museum will allow people to 'interact' with the toilet for the price of the entrance feel, which is currently free to its members

The facilities are made available to members of the public as part of an exhibit by Italian artist and sculptor Maurizio Cattelan and are expected to be at the museum for an indefinite period.

Pictured is the golden loo in its current home at the Guggenheim New York, which will open to visitors from Friday

Guggenheim revealed in a press release that the unusual interactive piece was created by Cattelan to invoke the American dream and make an extravagant product available to the everyday person 

The facilities are made available to members of the public as part of an exhibit by Italian artist and sculptor Maurizio Cattelan(above)

The artist had come out of a five-year retirement to create the fully-functional toilet and has named the work America.

It's currently installed in one of the Guggenheim's one-person unisex bathrooms and according to the New Yorker, it's an exact replica of the facilities that had previously been installed in the cubicle. 

Anyone who has paid the admission, which costs $15 (£11.33) for adults and free for children and members, can use the toilet.

The only catch is that there will be a security guard standing outside the cubicle the entire time, ostensibly to answer any questions visitors might have and to prevent vandalism.

Guggenheim revealed in a press release that the unusual interactive piece was created by Cattelan to invoke the American dream and make an extravagant product available to the everyday person.

The museum said: 'The new work makes available to the public an extravagant luxury product seemingly intended for the one per cent.

'Its participatory nature, in which viewers are invited to make use of the fixture individually and privately, allows for an experience of unprecedented intimacy with an artwork.'

Due to the precious metal used for the toilet, the cleaning crew are having to use medical wipes that are fragrance free and don't contain colour or oxidising agents to maintain hygiene every 15 minutes. 

It will also be periodically steamed and polished.