The banana is back!
Maurizio Cattelan’s most famous work, a banana attached to the wall with duct tape, is heading to a Sotheby’s auction next month.
Titled Comedian (2019), the controversial artwork sent shockwaves throughout the world when it was sold for $120,000 by Perrotin gallery at Art Basel Miami Beach in 2019. The work by the Italian prankster came in an edition of three. After the first two sold for $120,000 in quick succession, the gallery and the artist decided to raise the price for the third to $150,000 and sell it to a museum, Artnet’s Sarah Cascone wrote at the time. An anonymous donor acquired it for the Guggenheim Museum. The banana on view in Florida was sourced from a local supermarket.
Sotheby’s consignment arrives at an opportune time. The market is hungry for fresh material that can excite collectors, following a 30-percent drop in auction sales during the first six months of the year compared to the same period in 2023. The big semiannual auctions in New York in November are expected to be slimmer than usual. Sotheby’s won the collection of the late cosmetics magnate Sydell Miller, but the top trophies landed at its arch-rival, Christie’s.
Maurizio Cattelan’s notorious work at the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne, Australia, in 2023. Photo by William West / AFP
On Thursday, Sotheby’s posted a video on Instagram, teasing an upcoming announcement. “It’s back,” the post said, showing a man in a business suit carrying a black briefcase to the auction house, its luggage unknown. Dramatic subtitles build up the suspense: “A Masterpiece.” “Pure Genius.” “Ridiculous.” “Truly Insane.”
What’s inside the briefcase remains a mystery. The teaser ends with a date: 10/25/2024. The post adds “@ 9:30 AM ET.”
The deal was orchestrated by Andre Sakhai, a patron of the Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami, and a known art trader, according to a person familiar with the work. At one point, according to the person, Sakhai was seeking a $2 million guarantee. The investor did not immediately respond to a call seeking comment.
After Artnet News broke the news of the consignment on Thursday evening, Sotheby’s released details about the work, saying that it has been estimated to sell for $1 million to $1.5 million.
A still from an unreleased Sotheby’s promotional video.
A Sotheby’s video obtained by Artnet News concludes with the banana being taped to the wall as the man takes a bite of another one. The final shot shows Sotheby’s logo, with the a tiny taped banana taking the place of its apostrophe.