The global art market has finally gathered momentum over the pandemic losses, and in fact, it turned so profitable that even a banana duct-taped to a wall fetched $6.2 Million in a Sotheby’s Auction. This is the same banana that was once taken off the wall and consumed by another artist, David Datuna, that sparked a controversy. Then, again, it was consumed by a student from Seoul National University in 2023 who described it as,
“The student told the museum he ate it because he was hungry.”
Three editions of the conceptual art were previously sold for $120,000 and $150,000. Two of them were bought by a private collector for $120,000, and the third was sold for $150,000, which was later donated to the Guggenheim Museum in New York. No other artworks from the twenty-first century have ever provoked such scandal or sparked an imagination like the duct-taped banana over the wall did.
The so-called artwork comprises a fresh banana fastened to a wall with duct tape, hung exactly 160 centimeters from the floor. From a clear perspective, the painting comprises only duct tape and a fresh banana. Of course, finding such a spotless banana might be a little toilful, but even that fails to argue such a hefty price.
A little background of The Comedian is that it was composed by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan and debuted in 2019 at Art Basel Miami Beach. Originally a cheeky commentary or a joke about the questionable choices of art collectors, it has traveled a hilarious journey to earn the art tag. In terms of its sales, it surely raises questions about the taste of the art collectors. Further, the internet witnesses the participation of critics all across the world and the baffled state of the news agencies towards the art market.
Reporting the instances of the auction, Comedian’s bidding started at $800,000 and within minutes shot up to $2 million, then $3 million, then $4 million, and the auctioneer joked, “It’s slipping through the auction room.” The final price announced was $5.2 million, not including about $1 million auction house fees paid by the buyer.
“He has persistently disrupted the art world’s status quo in meaningful, irreverent, and often controversial ways,”
– Auction House
The buyer of the painting is Justin Sun, a Chinese collector and founder of the cryptocurrency platform Tron. Before this, he previously brought a $78m Giacometti sculpture at Sotheby’s in 2021. According to Sun, Comedian
“represents a cultural phenomenon that bridges the worlds of art, memes, and the cryptocurrency community. I believe this piece will inspire more thought and discussion in the future and will become a part of history.”
Not only is the banana a reflection of the bizarre choices of art collectors, but it is also a competitive answer to Christie’sand its ability to sell bananas for over a million dollars. Or is it just a greater fool’s theory like cryptocurrency where you justify your choices over returns?
Featured Image: Comedian, Conceptual Artwork; Sotheby’s.
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