New York’s Guggenheim is taking extravagance to a new level, unveiling a fully-functional 18-carat gold toilet, which the public are being invited to make use of.

Created by Italian artist and sculptor Maurizio Cattelan, the interactive artwork titled America has been installed in one of the museum’s public toilets – a one person unisex restroom.

A statement on wealth disparity in the US, visitors will be able to soon make their own unique contributions to the artwork, as long as they pay a US$25 (€22, £19) fee.

“For America Cattelan makes available to the public an extravagant luxury product seemingly intended for the 1 percent,” said a statement on the museum’s website.

“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 a work of art. Cattelan’s toilet offers a wink to the excesses of the art market but also evokes the American dream of opportunity for all – its utility ultimately reminding us of the inescapable physical realities of our shared humanity.”

The toilet generated major traction when it was announced on social media in April this year. Now installed and fully functional after being delayed in May due to “serious technical issues”, the Guggenheim is expected to announce an opening date for the first public flush imminently.

The cost of the toilet has not been released, though the work was paid for by private funds and is being loaned to the museum.