A banana, duct-taped to a wall has been sold for $120,000 (£91,000) from Art Basel Miami Beach.
A second piece of the same design has also been sold for the same price, and the third edition is now reportedly on sale for $150,000 (£114,000).
The art world is full of weird and wonderful creations, but that is a lot of money for a suspended piece of fruit.
The installation is by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan – and it went on sale earlier this week.
The first edition of the artwork was sold to a French woman, while the second edition was snapped up by a man, also from France, according to art market website Artnet.
Maurizio Cattelan says he bought the banana for his lucrative piece of art from a Miami supermarket – and he has reportedly decided to sell the third edition to a museum. Two institutions have already expressed their interest.
Speaking to Artnet, the Italian artist explained how he struggled to finish the piece of work for more than a year, before the revelation finally struck.
‘Wherever I was travelling I had this banana on the wall. I couldn’t figure out how to finish it,’ he said. ‘In the end, one day I woke up and I said “the banana is supposed to be a banana”.’
The banana is Cattelan’s return to art fairs after an absence of 15 years, and it has caused quite a stir.
Entitled ‘Comedian’, the artwork is literally just a banana bought in a Miami supermarket and a single piece of duct tape. So, what’s to stop imitiations?
The people who have spent thousands don’t need to worry, each ‘Comedian’ piece is sold with a certificate of authenticity – and when the banana starts to rot, you can simply replace it.
MORE: Cult beauty brand Bourjois will no longer be sold in the UK
MORE: Fish and chip shop is selling a 2ft long battered pig in blanket
MORE: Even gentle exercise ‘cuts risk of prostate cancer in half’
source https://metro.co.uk/2019/12/06/someone-paid-120000-banana-duct-taped-wall-art-11304744/
0 Comments