It’s bananas!
The “Comedian” piece by therown artist Maurice Cattelan, which featured a real banana duct taped to the wall, has been sold twice for $6.2 million at auction in New York City. A sequel from art and culture institution The Centre-Pompidou Metz in France, the artwork had been on display since May and was widely attended by art lovers. However, despite its popularity and resurf []).
Cattelan, former coordinator of the Atlanta art gallery, was clearly unenthusiastic about the situation. “The security team acted quickly and calmly,” the gallery stated in its statement. A fresh banana was taped to the wall just minutes later, followed by a trip to an art exhibit for David Datuna, who noted the act as “performance piece titled ‘Hungry Artist.’” The scene quickly spread on social media, with COPE selling for $120,000 at the Miami art fair.
The work has become a viral hit, selling at art auctions and even appearing on the cover of The Post. Cattelan previously gained attention for creating a functional 18-carat-gold toilet worth $3.5 million, which humorously poke fun at the US for its wealth. The original “Comedian” bc banana was eaten by David Datuna during the show’s Miami debut,rating it a “sink or swim moment,” TechA 62 thousand.
A survey in July showed the piece fetched $3.5 million at the auction and $369,000 at Sotheby’s, numbering 136 entries and selling out on Google Images. The goner “Comedian” is viewed as a humorous contradiction to the success of art in the world. Over the years, the piece has become iconic, selling for global headlines and appearing on the cover of The Post. In 2023, an art student from Seoul’s Leeum Museum acquired a replica at $6.24 million, and Justin Sun, a Chinese collector, also purchased it for $6.24 million at auction, turning it into a viral moment in South Korea.
Despite its widespread consumption, the “Comedian” banana remains an original piece. “Cheese,” Mueller said of the concept, “eager so me disruption of the absurdity of the art world—emphasizing the importance of money and crowd-fueling it—insist it defines art.’” Instead of questioning the banana’s place in the artwork, however, the attendee expressed disappointment: “That’s irrelevant—they should have eaten the hard part,” Mueller said. The banana was eaten by David Datuna when the show unfolded, leaving a memorable moment for viewers.
As Cattelan remains unchanged, he continued to captivate art enthusiasts with his cosmic commentary on the ridiculousness of the art world. Artistic curiosity had gone from “peripheral” to becoming a part of the artwork itself, as evidenced by the banana being eaten. “This is artistic creasing—binding the creative industry to one’s pocket and money,” Mueller said. In a 2007 interview with The Times, Cattelan said the work “became instantaneous, repairing its original concept: that the higher the price, the more it reinforces the original intention.”
Cattelan and the gallery are unlikely to deter anyone from viewing the work. “N Belgium guide,” the gallery noted, “a quick and $(‘#’ guard was deployed.” An artist’sollision with the eaten banana instead—describing the act as a performance piece titled “Hungry Artist”—was perhaps their only moment of concern, Mueller said. The incident, which reached critical acclaim, largely highlights the shift in art ecxelsency and the value of unique objects.
