On the Block: A Banana with a piece of duct tape sells for $6.2 million

The fact is, that Maurizio Cattelan’s “Comedian,” a banana, duct taped to a wall, just sold at auction for $6.2 million to a crypto entrepreneur. It’ 's Bananas!! It’s Nuts! It’s a joke! - Well, it absolutely is a joke and you’re “in” on it.

Photo Zeno Zotti

The commodification of contemporary art draws a stark line between the elite art world and the average person. What the wealthy are willing to pay millions for often appears absurd to the everyday observer. Interestingly, many artists seem aligned with this skepticism. They create works that knowingly poke fun at the art world’s eccentricities and excesses, almost as an inside joke with the general public. These artists seem to say, “Watch how the art world loses its mind over this,” and, sure enough, the art establishment responds with enthusiasm, driving the value of the work to extraordinary heights.

This dynamic is not new. Marcel Duchamp’s Fountain (1917), a urinal presented as art, shocked audiences by challenging traditional notions of craftsmanship and aesthetics. Similarly, Piero Manzoni’s Artist’s Shit (1961) and John Cage’s 4’33” (1952) questioned the boundaries of artistic value, authorship, and meaning. These works, like Maurizio Cattelan’s Comedian, use provocative simplicity to expose the art world’s capacity to elevate the mundane or absurd into high art, often with a sense of irony.

The average person, however, often misses that they are part of this “wink.” They simply see the work as absurd or incomprehensible, unaware that the artist may also view the work—or at least its premise, execution, or concept—as absurd. In many cases, the artist is using the piece as a commentary on the art world’s own ridiculousness.

What happens next is key: the art world embraces the work, praising its boldness or conceptual depth. By doing so, the art world validates and increases its financial and cultural value. This validation effectively expands the definition of art itself, as the industry redefines what can be considered “Art.”

The value of such works is thus not inherent but manufactured by the art world’s approval. Once the art world stamps something as valuable, the dollars flow in, reinforcing the cycle. This process not only proves the ridiculousness of the art market—an idea shared by both the laity and many artists—but also highlights how art’s definition is constantly evolving. It becomes a dynamic concept, shaped by the interplay of artistic intention, public reaction, and institutional validation.

Mauricio Catellan’s, “Comedian”, famously known as “the banana duct taped to a wall,” illustrates my point. It is a provocative and satirical work that debuted at Art Basel Miami Beach in December 2019. Its origins and reception offer a glimpse into Cattelan’s approach to art, which often combines humor, irony, and critique of societal and art-world norms. Comedian recently sold at Sotheby’s auctionhouse for $6.2 million, far surpassing its estimated $1.5 million.

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Cattelan had been thinking about creating an artwork featuring a banana for over a year. Initially, he considered making it out of resin or bronze, materials traditionally associated with fine art. Ultimately, he chose an actual banana, embracing its ephemeral and mundane nature, which contrasted sharply with the high value often placed on contemporary art objects.

The use of duct tape was both a practical solution and a humorous statement. By taping the banana directly to the wall, Cattelan stripped the work of any pretense or embellishment, presenting it as an absurd yet direct commentary on art’s commodification and the arbitrary values assigned to everyday objects. 

Comedian can be seen as a satirical take on the art market, where seemingly simple or nonsensical works sell for millions. The banana—being a universally recognizable, cheap, and perishable item—was a humorous symbol of human consumption, fragility, and cultural obsession with novelty. The title Comedian hints at Cattelan’s intent to poke fun at both himself and the art world. 

The artwork became an instant viral sensation. Three editions of the piece sold for $120,000-$150,000 each, sparking debates about the value and nature of contemporary art.

Some critics praised it as a brilliant conceptual work, aligning it with Cattelan’s history of provocative art. Others dismissed it as a publicity stunt, questioning the seriousness of the art world. Many saw it as emblematic of consumerism and excess.

A performance artist, David Datuna, escalated the artwork’s notoriety by removing the banana and eating it in front of spectators, calling his action Hungry Artist. His act raised questions about whether he had destroyed the artwork or contributed to its meaning.

The true “art” in Comedian isn’t the banana itself but the certificate of authenticity and instructions provided by Cattelan. Buyers receive detailed guidelines on how to display and replace the banana, making it clear that the artwork exists as an idea rather than a physical object.

Maurizio Cattelan’s Comedian continues to spark discussions about the nature of art, value, and spectacle. It aligns with his broader practice of creating works that challenge cultural and institutional norms, including America (the solid gold toilet) and his hyperrealistic sculptures of political and religious figures.

Ultimately, Comedian encapsulates the absurdity of the contemporary art world while serving as a self-aware critique of it. By turning a banana and a piece of duct tape into a multi-million-dollar artwork, Maurizio Cattelan highlights the art market’s ability to assign extraordinary value to ordinary objects through little more than institutional validation and public spectacle. This playful yet biting commentary draws a sharp line between the art world’s insiders, who see the deeper humor and critique, and the broader public, who often perceive only the absurdity of the object itself. Yet, Comedian succeeds precisely because of this duality, forcing both audiences to grapple with what art means in an era where its value is as much about perception and context as it is about material or craftsmanship. In doing so, Cattelan not only mocks the art world’s eccentricities but also redefines art as a dynamic and ever-evolving concept shaped by this very absurdity.