What’s worth more—a duct-taped banana or your life savings? Hint: It’s the banana. What started as a viral art stunt is now the Picasso of produce, sparking debates on art, absurdity, and the eternal question: is it okay to eat art if you’re hungry?
1 of 10 | Maurizio Cattelan’s artwork Comedian, a banana duct-taped to a wall, is expected to fetch $1 million to $1.5 million at a Sotheby’s auction on Nov. 20 in New York. Originally debuted at Art Basel in 2019, the bananas are replaced regularly, as the original fruit is no longer available. (AP Video: John Minchillo)
2 of 10 | File – A woman looks at artist Maurizio Cattelan’s piece of art “Comedian” during an auction preview at Sotheby’s in New York, Monday, Nov. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez, File)
3 of 10 | FILE – Artist Maurizio Cattelan’s piece of art “Comedian” hangs on display during an auction preview at Sotheby’s in New York, Monday, Nov. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez, File)
4 of 10 | FILE – People react to the artist Maurizio Cattelan’s piece of art “Comedian” during an auction preview at Sotheby’s in New York, Monday, Nov. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez, File)
5 of 10 | FILE – A man looks at “Nympheas,” by Claude Monet, during an auction preview at Sotheby’s in New York, Monday, Nov. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez)
6 of 10 | A man takes a look at “La Statuaire,” by Pablo Picasso, during an auction preview at Sotheby’s in New York, Monday, Nov, 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez)
7 of 10 | A Sotheby’s staff carries “Buste De Femme” by Pablo Picasso, during an auction preview at Sotheby’s in New York, Monday, Nov. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez)
8 of 10 | People walk near The Danner Memorial Window, by Tiffany Studios during an auction preview at Sotheby’s in New York, Monday, Nov. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez)
9 of 10 | A woman walks near “Contranuities,” by Stuart Davis, during an auction preview at Sotheby’s in New York, Monday, Nov. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez)
10 of 10 | A man looks at “Nympheas,” left, by artist Claude Monet, in photo on right, during an auction preview at Sotheby’s in New York, Monday, Nov. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez)
