Art

Banana on the Wall

Through this unusual marriage between a banana and duct tape, Italian visual artist Maurizio Cattelan examines how art has the power to be exploitative and often comes through as a ludicrous, wasteful enterprise.

By Taha Kehar | January 2025


Art isn’t a prisoner to rules and conventions and often bears an eccentric, enigmatic quality. Such claims achieve appropriate justification in light of Italian visual artist Maurizio Cattelan’s contentious yet popular work, ‘The Comedian.’ Featuring a banana affixed to a wall with duct tape, this unusual specimen of conceptual art has fuelled a vibrant and, at times, divisive debate among art critics, collectors, and aficionados on the essence of creativity.

Cattelan’s creation emerged on the horizon in 2019 in a limited edition of three. Two pieces were sold for a whopping $120,000 each at the Art Basel staged in Miami Beach, and the remaining piece was donated to the Guggenheim Museum. In the five years since ‘The Comedian’ made its appearance, art lovers have found themselves locked in lengthy debates about whether Cattelan’s artwork is a prank or a clever commentary on the dubious standards upheld by the Western canon.

In a puzzling development, one piece from this limited edition was sold in November 2024 to Justin Sun, a entrepreneur dealing in cryptocurrency, for $6.2 million. He ate the banana soon after making the purchase. If Sun’s observations are anything to go by, the true value of Cattelan’s work isn’t derived from its physical existence. Instead, the real measure of its worth is vested in “the concept itself.”
Over the years, investors have steadily recognized the importance of art as a viable asset that yields rich dividends. Indoctrination would have us believe that the art market remains reliable as it isn’t susceptible to constant fluctuations. In a similar vein, investing in art enables buyers to diversify their portfolios and, thereby, minimize any financial risks.

Be that as it may, the commercial appeal of a creative piece isn’t the most suitable gauge of artistic merit. Serious artists approach their craft with a heady mix of profundity and skill. The process of creating an artwork not only entails physical exertion but also involves spiritual and emotional labor. As a result, an accomplished work of art bears the stamp of its creator’s identity and vision.

At first glance, ‘The Comedian’ doesn’t seem to be the product of an arduous creative endeavor. Even the most pedestrian of observers are likely to view Cattelan’s artwork as overly simplistic. What’s more, non-artists can recreate the duct-taped banana with minimal effort. However, conceptual art isn’t always about the intricacies involved in its execution. On the contrary, it is steered by a distinct complexity of thought. A rudimentary concept can, therefore, be salvaged through sound intellectual and philosophical justifications. A discerning observer is advised against approaching conceptual artwork through a narrow lens and is urged to probe deeper.

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