A Banana Just Sold For $120,000 (No, Really)

If you thought the organic avocados at Whole Foods were pricey, hold on to your helmet. A banana (yes, a literal banana) which had been duct-taped to a wall (yes, a literal wall) just sold for $120,000 (yes, a literal $120,000) at Miami’s Art Basel this week.

The work, entitled “The Comedian,” was a creation of Maurizio Cattelan, the Italian artist who made an, umm, splash with his 18-carat gold toilet called “America” in 2017, which was subsequently stolen from England’s Blenheim Palace this past summer. (I hate when that happens).

There are three editions of “The Comedian” which debuted to big buzz this past week at the massive Miami art show, with the one still unsold expected to nab as much as $150,000.

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Maurizio Cattelan is at it again 🍌 The art world’s favorite prankster came in hot for Art Basel Miami Beach with a duct taped banana that sold for $120,000. Follow along with our stories for more Miami Art Week highlights. — #MaurizioCattelan #ArtBasel #ArtBaselMiamiBeach

A post shared by Artsy (@artsy) on Dec 5, 2019 at 2:19pm PST

Emmanuel Perrotin, founder of the gallery responsible for the work, told CBS News that Maurizio’s work is “not just about objects, but about how objects move through the world” and that every time he [Cattelan] traveled, “he brought a banana with him and hung it in his hotel room to find inspiration…making several models: first in resin, then in bronze and in painted bronze (before) finally coming back to the initial idea of a real banana.”

Related Reading: 9 Flatbread Recipes That Look Like Works of Art

Though many—in and out of the art world—are critical of the seemingly simple work and the Warholian hubbub it’s caused, Perrotin added that “the spectacle is as much a part of the work as the banana.”

In any case, here’s to Cattelan on his show-stealing work, and here’s hoping the buyer doesn’t accidentally throw it in a smoothie. But when it does eventually start to brown, might we suggest this delicious banana bread recipe?

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