Banana Duct Taped Art Sells For A Surprisingly Large Amount

What is considered “art” is certainly subjective and that point is proven yet again after a banana duct-taped to a wall is sold for big bucks. The Sotheby’s sale of the artwork left many in the room with their collective jaws on the floor as the price tag landed north of $6 million.

Last night, The Now And Contemporary Evening Auction featured artists from the 20th and 21st century, but most of the focus was on the banana. Artist Maurizio Cattelan really gives the art lover something to ponder with his piece titled ‘Comedian.’ Many are looking for the deeper meaning of the artwork while some just enjoy the overall lighthearted and silliness of the piece.

The artwork could be considered a deeper dive into consumerism, considering the outrageous price paid for the piece. But many argue that the art is meant to be a joke, and Cattelan is throwing, rather taping, something against the wall to see what sticks, what will get people to talk and open their wallet. Regardless of deep-meaning art or comedy gold, the ‘Comedian’ has people talking.

That hefty price tag isn’t technically for the physical banana. Instead, you’ll receive instructions on how to properly change out the soon-to-decay banana to replace it with a fresh piece of fruit and clean duct tape. Sotheby’s David Galperin says, “What you buy when you buy Cattelan’s ‘Comedian’ is not the banana itself but a Certificate of Authenticity that grants the owner the permission and authority to reproduce this banana and duct tape on their wall as an original artwork.”

The bidding began at $800 thousand dollars and bids were coming in quickly. The auction house had guesstimated that the bidding war would end around $1 million, but they were proven wrong as bidders battled both in person and over the phone.

Laughing to the crowd in the London auction, auctioneer Oliver Barker says, “And I’m selling it here. The world’s most expensive banana at 5 million, 200. These are words I never thought I’d say: 5 million for a banana. The hammer is coming down.” The item sold at $5.2 million with an additional $1 million added on in fees to the auction house. It was sold to a Chinese collector named Justin Sun who is the founder of a cryptocurrency platform. Sun says he plans to eat the banana as “part of this unique artistic experience.” It seems Sun will be responsible for his own grocery bill as the auction price does not include the cost of new duct tape and fresh bananas.

Reaction on X, formerly Twitter, at the announcement of the purchase is judgmental, “This planet needs to be hit with a meteor and start over.” Another X user posted a GIF of a crying baby with the caption, “Van Gogh right now.”

This is not the first time this art has caught the attention of people everywhere. In 2019, the same piece, with a different banana of course, went viral during the Galerie Perrotin booth at Art Basel Miami. Back then, 3 editions sold for about $150 thousand each.