Infamous artwork of banana duct-taped to wall headed to auction — here’s what a buyer will actually get for $1.5M
The art world’s gone bananas.
Five years after its creation, Maurizio Cattelan’s “Comedian” — consisting of a banana duct-taped to a wall — could fetch an eye-popping $1.5 million when it is auctioned off by Sotheby’s in New York City next month.
However, what you actually get for the staggering sum is not the original banana.
The art lover who makes the winning bid on “Comedian” can’t expect Cattelan to come and install the fruity work in their home.
Instead, they’ll receive a certificate of authenticity, giving them the right to show the work and detailed instructions about how to display it.
Plus, they’ll get a new banana and a roll of duct tape.
The infamous artwork peeled back the pretensions of the creative industry when it was initially unveiled at Art Basel Miami in 2019. It fiercely divided viewers at the Florida art fair before making global headlines and even appearing on the cover of The Post.
“Daring to redefine what art can be, Maurizio Cattelan’s ‘Comedian’ became one of the most talked-about sensations of the art world,” Sotheby’s David Galperin told The Post, adding that the work “continues to capture the zeitgeist.”
Cattelan initially created three editions of “Comedian” for Art Basel Miami, buying three bananas for less than a buck at a local grocery store.
Two of the works subsequently sold for a staggering $120,000, while the third was donated to the Guggenheim Museum.
Now, “Comedian” — which will feature a fresh banana and a new roll of duct tape — is going on a “global tour,” being exhibited at Sotheby’s galleries around the world before the auction in New York City on Nov. 20.
“This revolutionary work of art will spark imagination and provoke debate when it tours the world in our galleries, with the public having the chance to once again witness the artist’s magic,” Galperin told The Post.
Art critics have stressed that the physical representation of “Comedian” is not the work itself, instead saying that the piece poses questions and ideas about what actually constitutes “art.”
“Comedian” is a “commentary on the wild world of contemporary art, communicating how culture understands, interprets, and engages with the arts,” author Brian C. Nixon declared in his book “Beauty (and the Banana).”
And, judging by the hype the work received at Art Basel five years ago, there is no shortage of people who want to engage with the work.
While on display at the Florida art fair, performance artist David Datuna ate the banana off the wall, describing the act as a performance piece titled “Hungry Artist.”
The banana was replaced later that day.
“Comedian” became so popular that it was forced to be removed from Art Basel by curators afraid that other works would be damaged by a crush of crowds trying to get a glimpse of the banana.
Cattelan — the Italian artist who created “Comedian” — has been described by Sotheby’s as being “among Contemporary Art’s most brilliant provocateurs.”
In 2016, he hit headlines after creating an artwork named “America” — a sculpture of a fully functional golden toilet.
