Banana Duct-taped to a Wall, $1.5M to Bid: Cattelan’s ‘Comedian’ Back in the Spotlight

Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan’s controversial work “Comedian” is set to hit the auction block once again.

Sotheby’s announced on Friday that the piece would be looking for a new owner at an auction in New York on November 20.

The estimated selling price is between $1 million and $1.5 million.

When “Comedian” was first unveiled in Miami in 2019, the simple installation of a single banana duct-taped to a wall was tremendously controversial and generated vast interest.

Three versions of the work were created, with two sold to private collectors for $120,000 each. While the sale price of the third piece remains undisclosed, it is believed to have fetched an even higher price.

One of the three pieces is up for auction, with the seller’s identity remaining anonymous. The buyer will receive a banana, duct tape roll, authenticity certificate, and installation instructions.

According to Sotheby’s, the banana and tape the buyer receives are brand new materials that differ from those originally displayed. Sotheby’s explained that the physical materials are replaced for each exhibition as “Comedian” is a conceptual art piece, emphasizing that the essence of the work lies in the concept rather than holding value in the physical materials.

The value of “Comedian” is continuously up for debate, with some art critics viewing it as a continuation of the conceptual art tradition. It is similar to Marcel Duchamp’s “Fountain,” a urinal exhibited in art museums in the early 20th century.

The work went viral when it was first revealed at the Miami Art Fair in 2019 and gained worldwide attention again when a performance artist ate the banana off the wall. The performance artist’s claims that his actions were part of a performance and not vandalism were controversial.

Cattelan emphasized that his work is not a simple joke but a subject of social commentary, stating, “It was a sincere commentary and a reflection on what we value.”

Last year, This piece caused another stir when it was exhibited at Cattelan’s solo exhibition at the Leeum Museum of Art in Seoul. The controversy arose when a college student visitor ate the banana off the wall. The museum replaced the banana with a new one and continued the exhibition.

Widely reported in local and international news, the incident once again highlighted the symbolism and controversial nature of “Comedian.”