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Cattelan Banana that worth 120K.
Around the ending of 2019, there is an sale announcement of the artwork ‘Comedian,’ which merely a fresh banana sticked to a wall using duct tape. The material cost of producing this artwork may not exceed 3 USD , but it was sold for $120,000 USD for each edition.
The owner of this artwork is none other than Maurizio Cattelan, an Italian artist, known for his unconventional and controversial pieces such as ‘America,’ a solid gold toilet, which caused a sensation in the art and political spheres in 2016. As for this taped banana, as soon as news of its sale spread, it became a subject of wide-ranging discussions and sparked numerous follow-up stories. It captured the attention of the art world and attracted visitors throughout the week. Today, Tae Art Man will narrate the story behind this artwork, which is considered a significant chapter in contemporary global art history.
Banana Grand Opening
On December 5th, 2019, when Perrotin, a renowned gallery from France, which had been collaborating with Cattelan for almost 3 decades announced that the taped banana artwork, known as ‘Comedian,’ was sold for $120,000 USD. Additionally, two out of three editions were sold (including 2 Artist Proofs), leading Perrotin and Cattelan to agree that the final edition would be priced at $150,000 USD.
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Why a Banana?
According to Perrotin, “Cattelan had the idea of creating this work since last year. He wanted to make a sculpture that resembled a banana. Every time he traveled, he would carry a banana with him, observing it and hanging it in his hotel room for inspiration. Cattelan experimented with creating banana-like art using various materials, including resin and bronze, before finally deciding to use a real banana.”
In addition, the gallery founder, Emmanuel Perrotin, also commented “The banana has significance in two aspects: one as a symbol of international trade and the other as an element often used for comedic effect. Therefore, Cattelan’s piece possesses both humor and a critique of the global trade situation at the same time.”
Cattelan Banana Reception
After this story went viral on social media, there were various opinions. Some said it is art that reflects creativity by using ready-made or found objects, salute to Dadaism, while others thought it was merely a marketing gimmick and BS stuff.
Regardless of the opinion on the internet, Perrotin’s booth at Art Basel Miami Beach was swarmed by people hoping to take selfies with banana rockstar. This included American artist David Datuna, who not only visited but also peeled the banana off the wall and ate it in front of a crowd. This happened on December 8, 2019, just three days after the news of the sale of this artwork was announced.
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Datuna told the astonished crowd that this was a performance art piece named “Hungry Artist.” As you can guess, this story added fuel to the fire on social media platforms. After Datuna’s snack time, Mr. Perrotin announced on his Instagram that his gallery would remove Cattelan banana from the last day of the show.
Banana Buyers
Even though the exhibition ended on December 8, 2019, the buzz surrounding this artwork continued until December 9, 2019. The world came to know that one of the new owners of this artwork was Billy and Beatrice Cox , experienced art collectors in the industry for over 20 years. It is said that Billy is a descendant of the Bancroft family who once sold Dow Jones to media mogul Rupert Murdoch in the year 2007.
According to Pagesix , this buyer compared Cattelan banana to Andy Warhol’s ‘Campbell’s Soup Can’ and claimed that it was an iconic piece, similar to a unicorn (a highly successful artwork) in the art world. Furthermore, it was mentioned that the artwork was purchased with the intention of donating it to a museum for public education. The maintenance for this artwork involves “changing the banana every two days.”
Conceptual Art?
At this point, many people may wonder why pay millions when we can buy a banana from a local market for 20 baht and tape it ourselves.
The truth is, we can indeed buy a banana and create our own artwork. However, purchasing from the artist officially provides something called a Certificate of Authenticity (COA), which is a document certifying its genuineness. With the COA, the buyer can change the banana themselves and exhibit it, stating that it is a work by Cattelan.
Does this mean that a banana without a certificate is not authentic?
This artwork is a good example of “Conceptual Art,” where the authenticity certificate does not validate the physical banana or the tape itself. Instead, it authenticates the concept, the idea behind the artwork. The tangible materials, such as the banana and the tape on the wall, serve as tools or mediums that connect to the artist’s imaginative creation. Therefore, even if the banana is eaten or replaced multiple times, the essence of the artwork, the “idea,” still remains.
Plagiarism?
It can be seen that ‘Comedian’ is an art piece that emphasizes the sale of ideas. Therefore, it would be a nightmare if this artwork were questioned as stealing ideas or copying someone else’s work. And indeed, such questions arose on December 16, 2019, when a Facebook user named Joe Morford Artist claimed that he had created a similar artwork using tape and a banana, just like Cattelan’s artwork, since the year 2000 (which, apart from bananas, also included oranges). He presented evidence, including a YouTube video showing his artwork posted in 2008 and a Facebook post dated July 29, 2015. However, it seems that this issue did not receive much attention, as galleries, artists, and the media did not address it significantly.
Post from Joe Morford Artist
Social Hype
As you like it or not, undoubtedly, Cattelan banana has become a significant part of art history. This has sparked widespread debates on the concept of “value” in art. Undoubtedly, the idea of using a taped banana has inspired numerous companies to create their own parodies and imitations online. Even influential figures like the future business tycoon Elon Musk have joined the hype.
Reply with your best offer. pic.twitter.com/djaZa3Qwzm
— Pepsi (@pepsi) December 6, 2019
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Would you rather a $120,000 banana ? or a priceless PERRIER®? #PERRIER #Banana #ArtWork
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Source
- https://news.artnet.com/market/maurizio-cattelan-banana-art-basel-miami-beach-1722516
- https://news.artnet.com/market/cattelan-banana-art-art-basel-1725678
- https://pagesix.com/2019/12/09/billy-and-beatrice-cox-new-owners-of-notorious-art-basel-banana-piece-speak-out
