The much-despised and coveted banana that divided the art world is heading to auction next month, where it is estimated to sell for more than $1 million, according to a announcement from Sotheby’s yesterday, October 24.
Maurizio Cattelan’s 2019 ‘Comedian’ consisted simply of a banana duct-taped to a white wall and first catapulted to viral infamy when it debuted that year at Gallery Perrotin’s booth at Art Basel Miami Beach, where three editions were sold for up to $150,000 each.
The saga includes two instances in which the artwork was eaten (once during a performance by the late Georgian-American artist David Datuna, then in a seemingly candid munchie moment when a hungry art student needed a snack), an anonymous donation to the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum collection and countless humorous social media recreations that have cemented its legacy as an iconic (if annoying) cultural zeitgeist of the 21st century.
Now, on November 20, the “Comedian” will go under the hammer alongside works by Jasper Johns, Alex Colville and Cy Twombly at Sotheby’s Now and Contemporary Evening Auction in New York, with a pre-sale price of $1 million to $1.5 million. The auction follows a world tour that begins with a one-day exhibition in New York on October 28 before traveling to cities including London, Paris, Milan, Hong Kong, Dubai, Taipei, Tokyo and Los Angeles, the announcement said.
Hyperallergic asked Sotheby’s if the $1 million estimate was a joke. David Galperin, Sotheby’s head of Contemporary Art, Americas, responded that “‘Comedian’ is one of the artist’s most iconic works, and so its value should be tailored to the highest segments of his market.” He added that some of Cattelan’s works have sold at auction for as much as $17 million and that “the estimate is just a starting point.”
“The great thing about putting this work up for auction is that it finally gives the public the opportunity to have a say in determining its value,” Galperin added.
In a 2021 interviewCattelan said he considered the work “a heartfelt commentary and reflection on what we value.” The Italian artist is known for producing other satirical works, including a working 18-carat gold toilet sculpture entitled ‘America’ (2016), reportedly worth around $6 million, and a site-specific installation called “Daddy, Daddy” (2008) depiction of Pinocchio’s demise in the fountain of the Guggenheim Museum.
A representative of Sotheby’s said this Hyperallergic that the purchaser of “Comedian” will receive a certificate of authenticity, along with official installation instructions, a roll of tape and one banana.
“The banana and duct tape can be replaced if necessary,” the Sotheby’s representative said Hyperallergic.
