Crown of Influence

 

In this sculptural work, artist XVALA explores the cultural potency of the red MAGA hat by reimagining it in 24-karat gold. For XVALA, the hat—often seen as a lightning rod for political identity—transcends its status as mere apparel. Through his lens, it becomes a symbol of raw political force and transformative ideology. The artist suggests that the hat, and the movement it represents, acts as a kind of meme—an agent of cultural transmission with consequences that ripple through both domestic and global orders.

 

This piece began with a real MAGA hat, allegedly signed by Donald Trump. Using laser scanning and 3D printing technologies, XVALA reproduced it in cast bronze before applying a gold-plated finish. The process, materials, and scale all gesture toward the sculptural traditions of classical antiquity, while recontextualizing them in the iconography of contemporary American politics.

 

XVALA describes the hat as “a golden crown with a life of its own,” viewing it not as parody or critique, but as homage to what he interprets as a new era of national strength and pride. The work stands, in his words, as a counterpoint to Maurizio Cattelan’s America—a golden toilet that some have read as a cynical take on American excess. Where Cattelan may be seen to mock, XVALA’s golden replica proposes uplift: a vision of America refined, magnified, and preserved.

 

Ultimately, this sculpture invites viewers to consider the power of political imagery—and how its meaning is shaped as much by material and form as by ideology.