How a duct-taped banana sold for millions of dollars?

He continued, “In the coming days, I volition personally devour the banana arsenic portion of this unsocial creator experience, honouring its spot successful some creation past and fashionable culture.”

The artwork

The artwork is conscionable a caller banana affixed to a partition with duct tape. Its purchaser receives a rotation of duct tape, instructions connected however to “install” the banana and a certificate of authenticity guaranteeing it is an archetypal work. The banana and the duct portion request to beryllium replaced, arsenic required.

Speaking to The Art Newspaper successful 2021, Cattelan shared the thought process down the work. He said, “To me, Comedian was not a joke; it was a sincere commentary and a reflection connected what we value. At creation fairs, velocity and concern reign, truthful I saw it similar this: If I had to beryllium astatine a fair, I could merchantability a banana similar others merchantability their paintings. I could play wrong the strategy but with my rules.”

Its debut

Created successful an variation of three, Comedian was archetypal displayed astatine Art Basel Miami Beach successful 2019 by Perrotin Gallery. While Cattelan had reportedly purchased the bananas astatine a Miami market store for astir 30 cents each, the artwork sold betwixt $120,000 and $150,000. One of these is present successful the Guggenheim Collection. At the fair, the enactment besides became portion of a performance, erstwhile Georgian creator David Datuna removed the banana from the partition and ate it successful an enactment helium titled “Hungry Artist.” The banana was subsequently replaced.

Cattelan’s archetypal enactment for a just successful 15 years, Comedian created a disturbance immediately, going viral connected societal media. It besides led to commotion astatine the just and yet its removal connected the past day, owed to “several uncontrollable assemblage movements”.

The responses

While immoderate person described the enactment arsenic a well-conceived commentary connected consumerism and art, others person panned it. Musician and writer Brian C Nixon’s publication Beauty (and the Banana) discusses the notions of quality and has a duct-taped banana connected its cover. It describes the artwork arsenic “a commentary connected the chaotic satellite of modern art, communicating however a civilization understands, interprets, and engages with the arts.”

The creator

Known for his sardonic attack and questioning accepted norms done his work, Cattelan often dwells connected humour and irony to provoke his audience. Shuttling betwixt Milan and New York, the self-taught artist, who designed furnishings aboriginal successful his career, has repeatedly attracted attraction for his unconventional attack and subjects.

Invited to amusement astatine an accumulation astatine the prestigious Venice Biennale successful 1993, helium made a connection by subletting his grounds abstraction to a perfume company. The Ninth Hour (1999) depicted Pope John Paul II lying connected the crushed nether a meteorite, portion Him (2000) had Hitler connected his knees with folded hands. Reflecting connected American nine and politics, his 2004 sculpture Now depicted a suited wax fig of erstwhile US president John F Kennedy, dormant successful an unfastened coffin.

Another of his much-talked-about works is America — a functioning 18-karat golden toilet, which was installed successful a restroom astatine the Guggenheim Museum successful New York from 2016 to 2017.

Estimated to beryllium worthy much than $4 million, it was stolen successful 2019 from a restroom astatine Blenheim Palace successful Oxfordshire, England, wherever it was exhibited.