The Italian artist’s viral “Comedian” artwork is estimated to sell 1,000 percent more than its initial value.
When Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan debuted his art piece “Comedian” in December 2019, everyone went bananas. It was no surprise, as the viral artwork is just a banana taped on a wall with duct tape—nothing more, nothing less—and was valued at more than a hundred thousand dollars.
Cattelan and French contemporary art gallery Perrotin displayed “Comedian” at the Art Basel international exhibition in Miami Beach. Its gallery booth was flocked by crowds of art enthusiasts and fair attendees curious about what makes a fruit taped to a wall valuable. Many asked how it is considered art, and an ultra-expensive one at that.
The original installation featured a banana bought in a Miami grocery store, which could be replaced as per Cattelan’s instructions. It was in an edition of three, with all of them being sold at the fair. Two were bought by private collectors for $120,000 each, while the other one was purchased for a higher (undisclosed) amount and was later donated to The Guggenheim museum in New York. The contemporary artwork was eventually taken down from Art Basel because of public safety concerns.
Five years have passed, and it seems like “Comedian” is still very a-peel-ing to many. On November 20, one of the artwork’s editions will be auctioned at Sotheby’s in New York. It is estimated to fetch a whopping $1 to $1.5 million.
Sotheby’s is keeping the identity of the seller a secret, but it said that the artwork was purchased from one of the original buyers.
Its price, more so the artwork itself, may seem like a joke to many, but Cattelan said in an interview with Art Magazine that it is anything but. Though one of the most controversial artists in contemporary art, Cattelan created the satirical piece to encourage everyone to rethink how we define art.
“To me, ‘Comedian’ was not a joke; it was a sincere commentary and a reflection on what we value,” the artist said. “At art fairs, speed and business reign, so I saw it like this: if I had to be at a fair, I could sell a banana like others sell their paintings. I could play within the system, but with my rules.”
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Sotheby’s couldn’t agree more with Cattelan. This is why the auction house deems it fitting to sell the artwork with a price tag based on what viewers think it’s worth. “If at its core, ‘Comedian’ questions the very notion of the value of art, then putting the work at auction this November will be the ultimate realization of its essential conceptual idea—the public will finally have a say in deciding its value.”
No matter what the closing price may be, the winning bidder will receive one banana, a roll of duct tape, plus a certificate of authenticity and official instructions for installing the work. CNN reported that, thankfully, the banana and duct tape to be given to the artwork’s new owner are not the originals.
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That’s for sure because the expensive conceptual artwork has, in fact, been eaten twice since its debut five years ago. The first incident took place during the art piece’s debut in Miami in 2019. Performance artist David Datuna plucked the banana from the wall and gobbled it up in front of hundreds of stunned onlookers. He later said in a press conference that it wasn’t vandalism but an art performance. “Absolutely I am not sorry,” he added.
The other instance took place at the Leeum Museum of Art in Seoul where a Seoul University student unceremoniously grabbed the banana from the wall, devoured it, and placed the peel back on the wall with its duct tape. A museum spokesperson told CNN that the student, Noh Hyun-soo, “ate it because he was hungry.”
“It happened so suddenly, so no special action was taken. The artist (Cattelan) was informed of the incident, but he didn’t have any reaction to it,” the museum spokesperson added, noting that they replaced the peel with a fresh banana.
Sotheby’s November auction will be the first time Cattelan’s banana artwork will be put up for bidding. Prior to the auction, the “Comedian” will embark on a world tour in New York, London, Paris, Milan, Hong Kong, Duba, Taipei, Tokyo, and Los Angeles.
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