A duct-taped banana became worth $1 million due to its viral popularity.

Imagine walking into a supermarket and seeing a banana for less than a dollar. It's a common sight, right? But what if I told you that this same banana, when duct-taped to a wall, could fetch a price of over a million dollars? Sounds unbelievable, but it's true. Such is the case with an upcoming auction at Sotheby's in New York, where a banana duct-taped to a wall is expected to sell for a jaw-dropping amount.

This yellow banana, fixed to a white wall with silver duct tape, is not just any ordinary fruit. It's a work of art called "Comedian" created by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan. The piece first made its debut at the Art Basel Miami Beach fair in 2019, where it caused quite a stir and became the talk of the town.

Many people were left wondering, what does this banana symbolize? Is it a prank? A commentary on the state of the art world? The mystery only deepened when another artist removed the banana from the wall and ate it. A backup banana was brought in, but the crowds of selfie-seeking visitors became too much to handle, and the artwork had to be taken down. However, it still managed to sell for a whopping $120,000 to $150,000, according to the Perrotin gallery.

Now, "Comedian" has an estimated value of $1 million to $1.5 million at the upcoming Sotheby's auction on November 20th. According to David Galperin, Sotheby's head of contemporary art, this conceptual artwork is profound and thought-provoking. He believes that Cattelan is challenging the art world by questioning the value we assign to artworks and what we consider as art.

For those interested in bidding, it's important to note that the banana on display in Miami is long gone. Sotheby's clarifies that the fruit was always meant to be replaced regularly, along with the tape. When you buy "Comedian," you're not just purchasing the banana itself, but also a certificate of authenticity that grants you the right to reproduce the banana and duct tape on your wall as an original artwork by Maurizio Cattelan.

The title of the piece, "Comedian," suggests that the artist may not have taken it seriously himself. However, Chloé Cooper Jones, an assistant professor at Columbia University School of the Arts, believes that it's worth considering the context in which the artwork was first displayed. Cattelan chose to premiere "Comedian" at an art fair, attended by wealthy art collectors, where it was sure to attract attention on social media. Jones believes that this may have been a dare of sorts to the collectors to invest in something absurd.

But is "Comedian" simply a commentary on the capitalist and insular world of art collecting? According to Jones, if that's all it is, then it's not a very interesting idea. However, she believes that there may be more to it. Cattelan is often referred to as a "trickster artist" and his work often explores the intersection of humor and the macabre. He uses his art to provoke us and make us confront the darker aspects of history and ourselves.

There is a dark side to the banana, a fruit with a history intertwined with imperialism, labor exploitation, and corporate power. Jones points out that it's hard to find a better symbol of global trade and its exploitations than the banana. If "Comedian" is meant to make us question our moral complicity in the production of everyday objects, then it becomes a more useful tool and opens up a new perspective for viewers.

As "Comedian" prepares to hit the auction block, another famous artwork, Claude Monet's "Water Lilies" series, is also being auctioned by Sotheby's with an estimated value of $60 million. When asked to compare Cattelan's banana to a classic like Monet's "Nymphéas," Galperin points out that impressionism was not considered art when it first emerged. He believes that any meaningful and important artwork from the past 100 to 200 years has always provoked some level of discomfort when it was first unveiled.

In the end, whether you see a banana duct-taped to a wall as a joke or a profound piece of art, it's impossible to deny the impact it has had on the art world. It may make us laugh or it may make us think, but one thing is for sure - it has definitely left a lasting impression. For more updates on the art world, follow Julie Walker on Twitter @jwalkreporter.

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