THE ARTIST WHOSE solid gold toilet was stolen from the UK’s Blenheim Palace has denied that he was behind the theft, which some have suggested is simply a Banksy-style prank.
The Italian artist, named Maurizio Cattelan, told the New York Times that he initially thought the news of the theft of his golden toilet, called “America”, was a prank.
“Who’s so stupid to steal a toilet? I had forgotten for a second that it was made out of gold,” he said, adding: “I wish it was a prank.”
Cattelan said he hoped it had been taken in a “Robin Hood-inspired action”.
“I want to be positive and think the robbery is a kind of Robin Hood-inspired action,” he said.
Robbers broke into the palace overnight and left the scene at 4.50am, and the alarm was raised just a few minutes later at 4.57am.
No one was injured during the burglary, but a 66-year-old man has been arrested.
The chief executive of Blenheim Palace, Dominic Hare, confirmed that the toilet had been valued at around $5 to $6 million.
The palace is the birthplace of former British prime minister Winston Churchill, and attracts thousands of visitors a year.
Hare told the BBC that it was “not out of the question [that it] would be melted down” by the thieves.
The gang, who had at least two vehicles, left behind flooding that damaged the building.
With additional reporting from - © AFP 2019
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