The idea of what can and cannot be art is constantly changing. Pieces that have only slightly altered their original form garner much controversy for their perceived limited changes and effort put into the work. Comedian by Maurizio Cattelan is just such a piece, a mere banana duct taped to a wall. It is both a captivating conceptual work and a controversial piece of art, with its detractors not even considering it to be art.
Three iterations of Comedian have existed since 2019. However, earlier this year, a new edition of the infamous banana was announced to be auctioned by Sotheby’s New York, making its auction debut for the art piece. It is part of The Now and Contemporary Evening Auction on 20 November, and is estimated between US$1-1.5 million. The lot is also "Guaranteed Property" by Sotheby's, meaning it has been guaranteed a minimum price during the sale. Should Comedian not hit that minimum price, Sotheby's will cover it, ensuring it hits that agreed-upon price point.
The buyer of this iteration of Comedian will receive the banana, duct tape, and a certificate of authenticity signed by Cattelan, although it is unknown if they will receive a lifetime supply of both bananas and tape in keeping with the lot’s high valuation.
Lot 1 | Maurizio Cattelan (b. 1960) | Comedian, Banana and duct tape
Executed in 2019, this work is number 2 from an edition of 3 plus 2 artist's proofs
20 x 20 x 5 cm
Estimate: US$1,000,000 - 1,500,000
Auction House: Sotheby's New York
Sale: The Now and Contemporary Evening Auction
Date: 20 November 2024
Previous versions of Comedian had been sold privately with this iteration of the work being the first to be sold at auction. This further elevates the work’s position within the cultural zeitgeist ever since the esoteric banana was unveiled in 2019, at Art Basel, Miami Beach. It was created by Maurizio Cattelan, an Italian visual artist renowned for his hyperrealistic and satirical works that often poke fun at contemporary events.
As for Comedian, the interpretation of the piece has been hotly debated. One of the prevailing theories is that it is a criticism or a revolution against the commodification of artwork. With art being so expensive to purchase by the average person, the idea of a banana on the wall can be seen as allowing any layman to acquire and create their artwork without any technical training or expensive tools.
Another interpretation of Comdeian is more of a criticism of the art world, hence its name making a mockery of artistic culture. It pokes fun at “high-brow” art and tries to be a reminder of how anything can be art regardless of its origins or nature. Furthermore, it encapsulates the idea that art is “in the eye of the beholder” and that as long as the person purchasing or collecting the piece considers it art then it is indeed art.
As stated, various versions of Comedian have existed since 2019 that were sold and subsequently devoured. At least three versions are known with the work debuting at Art Basel 2019 in Miami Beach, Florida. Of the three editions of the work, two were sold at US$120,000 each.
A third Comedian from that sale was purchased at a higher, undisclosed price. Artist Damien Hirst tried to acquire it but failed; this version of Comedian was later donated to the Guggenheim Museum in New York City in 2020.
The bananas have also been prone to consumption. In 2019, performance artist David Datuna ate one of the works just after it had been sold by Art Basel, Miami. Datuna stated that the value of Comedian was in the idea of the work rather than the banana itself.
Additionally, in 2023, one of the pieces was donated to the Leeum Museum of Art in Seoul. Art student Noh Huyn-soo consumed the banana and taped it back to the wall. It was promptly replaced, and when asked about his actions, Noh stated, "Damaging an artwork could also be seen as an artwork; I thought that would be interesting... Isn't it taped there to be eaten?” Cattelan himself approved of the action.
David Datuna having eaten Comedian at Art Basel, Miami Beach, 2019
South Korean art student eating Comedian in Seoul, 2023
The version of Comedian being sold by Sotheby’s is one of the works sold by Art Basel back in 2019; however, is it still the same work of art? Once ripe bananas typically have a short lifespan of a few days before going bad. Even without human consumption, each version of Comedian would need frequent replacement, and since the original artist is not doing the work himself and the work going into it is so limited, can Comedian even be considered art?
On its 2019 unveiling, critics and reports were split. Artnet called the piece the worst of that Art Basel exhibit and accused Cattelan of managing to trick collectors into spending US$120,000 on a banana taped to a wall. New York Times art critic Robin Pogerbin questioned if the piece was even art. Others equated the work to Marcel Duchamp’s infamous 1917 urinal "sculpture,” claiming Comedian neither exhibited skill nor beauty.
Other outlets praised Comedian, with The Guardian calling it a “genius work” that poked fun at the idea that the rich don’t even know the price of a banana. Newsweek called it a “humorous minimalist artwork.” One of the more critical and nuanced takes on Comedian argued that it was a commentary on contemporary art acting as a vessel for how culture interprets and interacts with art itself as a concept.