Maurizio Cattelan’s Comedian – or as it is better known, the banana duct taped to a wall – has sold at a Sotheby’s auction for $US6.24 million (approximately $9.6 million), beating early estimates by more than six times. The winning bid reportedly came in from a prominent cryptocurrency entrepreneur.
The work was first created in 2019 and exhibited at Art Basel Miami Beach, where it sold for $US120,000 ($175,591). Since then, Comedian has been shown around the world, including at the NGV in 2023 as part of the Triennial.
An NGV art handler with Comedian.Credit: Eugene Hyland
Given the simplicity of the concept – a normal banana stuck to a wall with silver duct tape – the pricetag might seem remarkable. Making an identical version of the work wouldn’t be difficult (or too expensive) to achieve. Speaking to this masthead last year, Cattelan was asked how he prevents imitations. “Why would I?” he responded.
Bidding started at $US800,000 and rapidly shot up. For Justin Sun, the winning bidder of the Sotheby’s auction and founder of cryptocurrency platform TRON, his multimillion-dollar outlay has bought him a certificate of authenticity which authorises the owner to duct tape a banana to a wall and call it Comedian.
Since it was first unveiled, the artwork has invited controversy, debate and even, at times, consumption with punters and other artists occasionally plucking the fruit off the wall and eating it.
Sun plans to join the ranks of those who have consumed Comedian, saying in a statement that “in the coming days, I will personally eat the banana as part of this unique artistic experience, honouring its place in both art history and popular culture.”
Artist Maurizio Cattelan.
Eating the banana, however, doesn’t spell the end of the artwork. On people eating his artwork, Cattelan told this masthead: “I am flattered to some extent. The action reminds me of the Eucharistic or even cannibalistic rituals where people consume the body and blood of their saviour or enemy, as if by ingesting it, they could gain some of their power. There is a certain allure to the concept of “eating” someone’s work as if it could somehow release the creative force that inspired it.”
When asked how often the banana at the centre of the work is replaced, the artist replied: “Let’s just say ‘when it’s ripe enough’ is the general rule.”