I should preface this by saying I’m not an overly artsy person. I’m a stick figure kind of person, I couldn’t draw anything well to save my life, and I usually need the artworks in galleries explained to me. I’m absolutely going to need an explanation for this one though: a banana taped to a wall.
Deadset. Just look at it.
Maurizio Cattelan, the Italian artist who installed a solid-18-karat-gold toilet at the Guggenheim back in 2016 has come up with his newest masterpiece. The piece is named “Comedian” and supposedly inspired by New York City. Basically this dude went to the local shops and got himself a banana. Taped it to a wall at the Art Basel Miami Beach art show. Called it a day.
Guess how much it’s going for? $120,000 USD. That’s 175,000 Australian.
And he’s already sold two of them.
Now I don’t condone art heists, but if you’re looking for an art gallery to rob, may I humbly suggest this one. It really looks like they have way more money than they know what to do with.
Here’s the explanation I know you want. According to the artist;
“I was trying to imagine something to symbolise my love of New York, and it was difficult. There was a time when the Greek coffee cups were everywhere, and I thought somehow the banana was something that now you can find at every street corner.”
And the duct tape? It’s because it holds everything together. Symbolism.
“In my apartment, the pipes are held together with it – I always say that I’d be more concerned if I ran out of that tape than out of toilet paper.”
So there you have it. If you feel like a cheeky house deposit, or are just sick of eating ramen for dinner, then I have the solution for you. Turns out taping shit to walls will make you bank.