Back in 2019, Italian visual artist Maurizio Cattelan presented a unique artwork titled Comedian. The artwork consisted of a banana duct-taped to a wall and nothing more. The piece was highly controversial, receiving praise for its message and uniqueness while also raising questions about its purpose in art.
Now, the Comedian is once again at the center of attention thanks to the fact that auction house Sotheby’s will be selling one of its three editions at an upcoming auction. The piece will first tour the world, making an appearance in 10 cities across the globe, before being auctioned off for the first time ever in November.
According to Sotheby’s, the estimated price of the piece is between $1 million and $1.5 million.
While the estimated price for duct tape and a single banana might seem too excessive, the fact is that the controversy made Comedian a world-famous piece. Shortly after presenting the piece, Cattelan sold two editions for $120,000 each. The buyers received a certificate of authenticity as well as detailed instructions on how to properly display it.
One of the editions of Comedian is currently in the collection of New York City’s Guggenheim Museum. The piece was donated to the museum by an anonymous donor in 2020.
