The banana taped to the wall is set to go up for auction for the first time, with a starting estimate of at least $1 million. The astronomical figure is for Maurizio Cattelan’s conceptual work, which caused quite a stir in 2019 when it sold for $120,000, sparking heated debates about the meaning of art. The work, titled Comedian, will be offered to the highest bidder at Sotheby’s on November 20 in New York and is one of three “editions” of the banana that debuted five years ago in December at the major fair Art Basel Miami Beach.
The work of the famous artist from Padua has inspired numerous imitations and on at least two occasions has even been consumed; the latest episode dates back to last year in a museum in Seoul, where a South Korean student justified his gesture by simply saying he was hungry. Over the past year, Cattelan obtained recognition of full intellectual property rights over his banana from the Florida courts, managing to prevail over Joe Morford, another artist who claimed paternity of the idea and had sued him for copyright infringement.
It is important to note that neither the duct tape nor the banana currently up for auction are the originals exhibited in Miami Beach at the Perrotin Gallery booth. The original banana was purchased at a supermarket and suffered an unfortunate fate when performance artist David Datuna decided to tear it off the wall and eat it in front of the incredulous eyes of visitors. Datuna defended his action as an art form rather than an act of vandalism.
Despite the incident, the booth was closed, but all three editions of the banana were still sold at the fair: two for $120,000 each to different collectors, and a third to another buyer for $150,000, later donated to the Guggenheim in New York. In this new auction, the winner will receive not only the roll of tape and a banana, but also a certificate of authenticity and installation instructions.
Sotheby’s did not reveal the identity of the current seller; it is known only that Comedian was purchased by one of the original buyers. David Galperin, head of contemporary art at Sotheby’s, described the work as “a brilliant provocation” and stressed that Comedian represents a challenge to the valuation of art itself: the public will decide how much this work is really worth.
Trump’s Tariff Plans: A Day-One Agenda Against Drug and Human Trafficking In a bold move to combat drug and human smuggling, President-elect Donald Trump has announced plans to impose significant tariffs on Mexico, Canada, and China immediately after his inauguration on January 20.
Government Unveils “Get Britain Working” Initiative to Combat Unemployment In a bid to rejuvenate the UK job market, the government has introduced its ambitious “Get Britain Working” initiative, promising extensive reforms aimed at reducing the benefits bill and increasing employment.