Maurizio Cattelan Tapes Banana to Wall, Sells for $120,000
A banana duct-taped to a wall by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan sold for $120,000 at Art Basel in Miami Beach on Thursday.
The artwork, titled "Comedian," was one of three editions, and was sold to a French collector. The other two editions are in the collections of the Guggenheim Museum in New York and the Centre Pompidou in Paris.
Cattelan is known for his provocative and often humorous work.
In 1999, he created a sculpture of Pope John Paul II being struck by a meteorite. In 2004, he installed a live horse in a gallery at the Guggenheim Museum.
The sale of "Comedian" has sparked a debate about the nature of art. Some critics have argued that the work is nothing more than a stunt, while others have praised it as a clever commentary on the art market.
Regardless of one's opinion of the work, there is no doubt that it has captured the public's imagination.
The image of the banana taped to the wall has been widely shared on social media, and has been the subject of countless memes and jokes.
Whether or not "Comedian" is a work of art is up for debate, but there is no doubt that it has made a splash in the art world.