Auction house Sotheby’s said on Friday that Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan's “Comedian” duct-taped banana artwork is up for auction once again, this time at an estimated $1 million to $1.5 million.
What Happened: “Comedian” is a piece of conceptual art involving a banana stuck to a wall with duct tape. Whoever wins the auction can take home the banana, duct tape, and also a certificate of authenticity signed by the artist, according to Sotheby’s.
However, buyers are not acquiring the physical banana itself, but rather the certificate of art. When the banana eventually decays, owners are instructed to replace it, and it will still be considered an authentic Cattelan artwork.
The artwork going on auction in November is one of its 3 editions. The live auction will be held on November 20 in New York.
Why It Matters: “Comedian” made headlines in 2019 when it was displayed with a six-figure asking price. The combination of the artwork’s exorbitant price tag and its absurdity quickly caught attention.
While two editions of the artwork were bought by collectors for $120,000 previously, one was purchased for an undisclosed sum. Sotheby’s did not divulge the name of the seller for the upcoming auction.
In addition to garnering attention for its unconventional nature, “Comedian” also faced the peculiar fate of being consumed not just once but twice.
The first incident occurred in 2019 when performance artist David Datuna partook in an act of performance art by consuming the banana portion of the artwork. This further intensified the discussions surrounding the value and interpretation of contemporary art.
The banana artwork faced a similar fate yet again in 2023, this time at the hands of a hungry student.
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