The infamous modern art piece of a banana duct-taped to a wall has been valued at more than $1 million, sparking outrage and mockery from online art enthusiasts.
Simply titled Comedian by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan, the art piece went viral in 2019 at the Art Basel Miami Beach fair where three editions of it sold for between $120,000 and $150,000; five years later, the piece has an estimated worth between $1 million and $1.5 million for a Sotheby’s auction on November 20. David Galperin, Sotheby’s head of contemporary art, told the Associated Press that Cattelan created a provocative work of art.
“What Cattelan is really doing is turning a mirror to the contemporary art world and asking questions, provoking thought about how we ascribe value to artworks, what we define as an artwork,” Galperin said.