Viral ‘Comedian’ Duct-Taped Banana Artwork To Go On Auction Again, This Time For Up To Rs 10 Crore
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Created by Maurizio Cattelan, the duct-taped banana artwork was previously sold for $120,000 in 2019.
The Comedian artwork will go on auction on November 20. (Photo Credits: Instagram)
Once sold for $120,000 (Rs 85 lakhs), artist Maurizio Cattelan’s surprise artwork titled Comedian is now slated to be auctioned again, this time with an estimate of $1-1.5 million (up to Rs 10 crore). The art piece, considering its current worth, might sound like a good investment; however, the winning bidder will only receive a roll of duct tape and one banana. Yes, this is no joke! The artwork is a banana tied to a wall with duct tape. The artwork was originally sold in 2019, and it created a stir.
According to the auction house, the viral piece of art will go on sale on November 20, 2024, at Sotheby’s Now and Contemporary Evening Auction in New York. Following the auction, the winner will receive a certificate of authenticity and official instructions to install the work. Speaking to CNN, Sotheby’s also confirmed that neither the tape nor the bananas are the originals but will be replaced as done previously.
“The world’s most notorious banana. Maurizio Cattelan’s iconoclastic ‘Comedian’ will make its auction debut at Sotheby’s in November, with a $1-1.5 million estimate. First unveiled at Art Basel Miami Beach in 2019, the piece has earned its place alongside the most radical artworks of the century, from Duchamp to Warhol,” Sotheby’s wrote on Instagram.
Initially written off as a gimmick, Comedian was first presented at the Art Basel Miami in 2019, following which Cattelan produced three editions of it with bananas costing less than a dollar. While two were sold for $120,000 each, the third one was donated to the Guggenheim Museum. While its display drew in a good crowd, so much so that the curators even feared the work getting damaged. Artist David Datuna’s performance was also inspired by the work, prompting him to famously eat the banana on display, which he described as “Hungry Artist.”
“However, bidders are not to be given the original banana every time, thankfully,” an auction spokesperson told CNN, “Comedian is a conceptual artwork, and the actual physical materials are replaced with every installation.”
Currently, Comedian is set to embark on a global tour across multiple Sotheby’s galleries before the final auction in November this year.
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