Maurizio Cattelan’s infamous Comedian (2019) will make its auction debut at Sotheby’s contemporary evening art auction in New York on November 20th. One of three editions of the viral conceptual art piece, comprising a banana fixed to a wall with duct tape, the artwork is valued at $1 million to $1.5 million.
The winning bidder will receive a roll of duct tape, a fresh banana, and a certificate of authenticity. The work includes detailed instructions for properly displaying the piece, allowing for both the duct tape and banana to be replaced as needed.
Comedian debuted at Art Basel Miami Beach in 2019 at Perrotin’s booth. Two editions of the work sold for $120,000 each: one to Miami art collectors Billy and Beatrice Cox and the other to Sarah Andelman, founder of the Parisian boutique Colette. An edition of the work was also anonymously gifted to the Guggenheim in 2020. Cattelan reportedly purchased the bananas at a Miami grocery store for approximately 30 cents apiece. The artwork caused uproar at the art fair, which led to its early removal from the exhibition due to crowd control issues and security concerns.
“The most influential and radical artworks of the last century have had the power to fundamentally shift perceptions around the nature of art itself,” said David Galperin, Sotheby’s head of contemporary art for the Americas. “In this spirit, Comedian is a defiant work of pure genius. Balancing profound critical thought and subversive wit, this is a defining work for the artist and for our generation. With a single brilliant gesture, Cattelan rocked the foundations of the art world and brought art to the center of mainstream popular culture.”
Cattelan’s auction record was set at a Christie’s auction in May 2016 with Him (2001). The sculpture, depicting a kneeling, repentant Adolf Hitler, sold for $17.2 million.
