When a banana taped to a wall sold for $120,000 in 2019, it sparked an uproar on social media and a debate about the meaning of art.
But artist Maurizio Cattelan’s viral work, titled “Comedian,” may yet turn out to be a good investment: On Friday, auction house Sotheby’s announced that one of three “versions” of the artwork will be up for sale again — this one time with an estimate of 1 to 1.5 million dollars.
The buyer will receive a roll of insulating tape and a banana, as well as a certificate of authenticity and official instructions for installing the project. Sotheby’s confirmed to CNN that neither the film nor, thankfully, the banana are the originals.
“The Comedian is a conceptual artwork and the materials are replaced with each installation,” said a spokesperson for the auction.
“Comedian” questions the value of art itself
Cattelan and the Perrotin art gallery made headlines around the world five years ago when they exhibited “Comedian” for a six-figure price at Art Basel Miami Beach.
The original was created using a banana purchased from a grocery store in Miami, though the gallery said it could be substituted, per the artist’s instructions.
The art world was divided over the value of the work, although some critics felt it was rooted in a rich tradition of conceptual works – dating back to Marcel Duchamp’s famously placed urinal – which questioned the value of art itself .
“This is not a joke”
The story surrounding the work took an unexpected turn when artist David Datuna grabbed the banana from the wall, peeled it and ate it in front of hundreds of amazed visitors to the exhibition. He later defended his move as an independent artistic performance and not an act of vandalism.
The artist who ate a banana stuck to a wall said his actions were not vandalism and that he does not regret his snack at Art Basel in Miami Beach, Florida | Reuters
The Miami installation was eventually pulled amid public safety concerns, but all three versions were sold at the show. Two were purchased from private collectors for $120,000, while the third was purchased for a higher (but undisclosed) amount and later donated to the Guggenheim Museum in New York.
Sotheby’s did not reveal the identity of the buyer at the November auction, but said the work’s current owner acquired it from the collection of one of the original buyers.
In interviews following the installation in Miami, Cattelan described Comedian as a commentary artwork. Speaking to the Art Newspaper in 2021 he said it was “no joke”, calling the viral installation “a reflection of what we value”.
The Italian artist is known for satirical works that question popular culture.
*With information from: CNN | Sotheby’s
