A duct-taped banana will likely fetch $1 million at an auction in upcoming weeks.
Created by Italian visual artist Maurizio Cattelan, the taped piece of fruit titled “Comedian”(2019) continues to surprise and captivate the art world. Originally debuting at Art Basel Miami Beach, this piece raised eyebrows with its bold simplicity. The first two editions sold rapidly for $120,000 each, with the price rising to $150,000 for an anonymous buyer connected to the Guggenheim Museum in New York.
Since its debut, “Comedian” has taken on a life of its own, being eaten on multiple occasions by performance artists—including New York-based David Datuna and, more recently, a South Korean student in 2023 who claimed to do so as part of his own performance art.
Reflecting on his work, Cattelan explained, “To me, ‘Comedian’ was not a joke… it was a sincere commentary and a reflection on what we value. 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.”
Adding another layer to the “Comedian” story, Sotheby’s New York is set to auction the taped banana with an ambitious estimate of $1 million to $1.5 million. Touring through 10 global cities, “Comedian” will join The Now and Contemporary Evening Auction between November 8th and 20th, promising to ignite interest from art collectors and pranksters worldwide.
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