Comedian (artwork)

Comedianis a 2019 artwork by Italian artistMaurizio Cattelan. Created in an edition of three, it appears as a freshbananaaffixed to a wall withduct tape. As a work ofconceptual art, it consists of a certificate of authenticity with detailed diagrams and instructions for its proper display.
Number two of the limited edition of three was sold tocryptocurrencyentrepreneurJustin Sunfor $6.2 million in November 2024.Soon afterward, he ate the banana onstage, comparing it to a crypto asset and saying, "the real value is the concept itself".Sun also stated that he would buy 100,000 bananas from the street vendor in front of Sotheby's who sold the banana used in the most recent refresh of the artwork.
The piece and one of its sisters had previously sold for US$120,000 each atArt Basel Miami Beachto significant media attention. The third edition was donated to theGuggenheim Museum.
Maurizio Cattelanis an Italian artist known for histongue-in-cheekart, such as his 2016 creationAmerica, a fully functional golden toilet.He previously usedduct tapesuspension forA Perfect Dayin 1999, fastening the art dealerMassimo De Carloto a gallery wall.At the 2019Foire Internationale d'Art Contemporainart fair in Paris, the American conceptualinterventionistMeth Fountain showed a half-eaten croissant affixed to the wall, predatingComedianby several months.
Comedianis a piece consisting of a fresh banana duct taped to a wallexactly 1.6 metres above the floor.Cattelan purchased the bananas at a Miami grocery store for an estimated 30 cents.The work includes acertificate of authenticityalong with detailed instructions for its proper display, intended for its owner to use when displaying the work. The banana and the duct tape can be replaced as needed; the physical representation ofComedianis not the work itself.It was Cattelan's first artwork for a fair in over 15 years.The piece was compared toAndy Warhol's 1967 pop art fruit.Emmanuel Perrotin, the gallerist exhibiting the work, statedComedianis "a symbol of global trade, a double entendre, as well as a classic device for humor".
Comediancreated controversy, with some writers, such asRobin Pogrebin, questioning if it was even art.The GuardiancalledComediana "questionably genius work. ... It calls to mind the old Lucile BluthArrested Developmentgag about rich people not knowing the price of a banana."Artnetwrote the piece was one of the worst of the week, and that Cattelan "somehow duped a group of collectors into buying bananas duct-taped to walls for $120,000 a pop. Seriously."USA Todaydeadpanned, "This piece of art is bananas – literally."Newsweekcalled it "humorous minimalist artwork",whileARTnewsasked whether the piece was cynical or thrilling.CBS Newsreported, "It may be the most talked-about artwork at this year's event."On December 13, theNew York PostfeaturedComedianon its cover.In his 2021 bookThe Devil in the Gallery,Noah Charneystated, "Comedianis neither beautiful nor does it exhibit skill, so it represents theDuchampianpath."In his bookBeauty (and the Banana), authorBrian C. Nixonstated, "To say the least,Comedianis a commentary on the wild world of contemporary art, communicating how culture understands, interprets, and engages with the arts."
The piece was released in an edition of three; two were purchased for $120,000 USD each atArt Basel.The selling price garnered significant media attention. One edition was purchased by Sarah Andelman, a founder ofColette.
In August 2020, artistDamien Hirstcomplained to the media that he was unable to purchase the piece and had offered to trade any of his own works for it with Cattelan; Cattelan replied that the piece had sold out.The following monthComedianwas donated to theGuggenheim Museum, with instructions and diagrams for its installation and display.
Following a highly publicized tour and bidding,Comediansold at Sotheby's during  "The Now and Contemporary Evening Auction" on 20 November 2024 for $5,200,000 ($6,240,000 after fees), well above its $1,000,000-$1,500,000 estimate.The purchaser was cryptocurrency entrepreneurJustin Sun.On 29 November, Sun ate the banana at a press conference at thePeninsula Hotel, Hong Kong.He retains the right to recreate the artwork at any time, but not multiple co-existing copies.
Manhattanfruit vendor Shah Alam sold the banana used in the work for 25 cents. Alam expressed surprise and disbelief when informed of the sale, stating, "I am a poor man. I have never had this kind of money. I have never seen this kind of money".
After its sale, while still on exhibit at Art Basel, Georgian performance artistDavid Datunaate the piece inan interventionhe calledHungry Artist. The banana was replaced later that day.No legal action was taken against him, though he was asked to leave the fair.Datuna stated, "What we perceive as materialism is nothing but social conditioning. Any meaningful interaction with an object could turn it to art. I am a hungry artist, and I am hungry for new interactions."
In April 2023, the piece located in theLeeum Museum of Artwas eaten by a student, Noh Hyun-soo, who then taped the peel back onto the wall. When asked why he ate it, he said that he had skipped breakfast that day and was hungry.
Following a flurry of publicity, several commentators satirized or interpretedComedian. DesignerSebastian ErraZuriztaped a dildo to a wall with duct tape and listed it for sale for $12,000.Cryptocurrencyartist CryptoGraffiti createdThe Commodity, "which instructed collectors to find and claim a banana with a bitcoin key address carved into it".ActressBrooke Shieldstaped a banana to her forehead with blue tape and posted it toInstagramwith the caption, "An expensiveselfie".DesignerSimon Porte Jacquemus"created a merch opportunity when posting a duct-taped yellow version of [his] micro Le Chiquito bag".Popeyes Chickenjoined with the San Paul Gallery Urban Art in Miami to createThe Sandwich, a chicken sandwich taped to a white wall with duct tape; it was listed at $120,003.99 and "became a viral sensation in its own right".Multiple other brands followed suit, including theNew York Mets,Burger King,Hostess,Perrier,Carrefour,Sweetgreen,Absolut, andBobbi Brown.
On Sunday, December 8, 2019, in the morning,Comedianwas removed from the fair. The curators removed the piece because they were afraid other art would be damaged by queuing crowds.After the removal, the gallery released the following statement:
After the removal, Perrotin created a social media account dedicated to the piece.One of the walls featuring the piece was later vandalized with the text "Epstien didn't kill himself"  [sic] in lipstick, which was soon covered by the art fair.
Artist Joe Morford filed a suit against Cattelan forcopyright infringementof his 2000 work titledBanana & Orange.Banana & Orangefeatures plastic replicas of the titular fruits duct taped to two green panels.Given Morford's claimed similarities betweenComedianandBanana & Orange, Morford pursued a claim of copyright infringement, alleging thatComedianunfairly copiedBanana & Orange.Morford further claimed that Cattelan might have seen his work and been influenced by it. On June 9, 2023, Judge Robert N. Scolar Jr., a US district judge for the southern district of Florida, granted Cattelan's motion forsummary judgment, closing the case prior to trial.