Million Dollar Banana Going To Auction Soon In New York

Someone is about to become the proud owner of a piece of art that literally could have been made by a preschooler.  But it is going to cost them a lot to own it.

In 2019, a piece of art by Italian artist named Maurizio Cattelan was created.  It was the simplicity of the piece and the absurdity of it all that took the world by storm.  He named it "Comedian" and it sold for between $120,000 and $150,000.  There were three editions of it made and they expect that there will be hundreds, if not thousands more to come.

What is this piece of art that surprised the world?

The art is simply a banana that has been duct taped to a wall.  That is it.  A regular banana affixed to the wall with duct tape.

Some imagine that the work is a commentary on the state of the world 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."  David Galperin, Sotheby's head of contemporary art

The irony is that because it's real fruit it cannot even last.  Just like any piece of fruit, it will only last until it rots.

The person who buys the art is buying a certificate

The art is going up for auction soon at Sotheby's auction house in New York.  It could be yours!  They're expecting it to go from anywhere between $1 million and $1.5 million.

Many would ask, "If you buy this piece of art, you're getting a rotten banana?"  No.  The person who ends up winning the bid for this piece of "priceless" art will instead get a certificate of authenticity that grants the owner the permission and authority to reproduce this banana and duct tape on their wall as an original artwork by Maurizio Cattelan.