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A work comprising of a simple banana duct-taped to a wall, debuted at Art Basel Miami Beach back in the pre Covid December of 2019 which despite its ostensibly absurd and minimalist appearance stirred global conversations about the nature, purpose, and economics of contemporary art holding such a pivotal place in the art world.

A Mirror to Art’s Ephemeral Nature, at its core, Comedian is challenge to traditional notions of permanence in art. The banana, a perishable fruit, emphasizes the temporality of existence. It confronts audiences with the fleeting nature of art, life, and meaning itself. Unlike classical works designed to endure for centuries, Comedian intentionally embraces decay, turning impermanence into its defining feature.

Taking a step further from Yves Klein’s empty galleried Le Vide (1958), or the ephemerality of Banksy, Catelan with just a mundane everyday, many would jokingly say objet trouve , rotting object questioning whether permanence is necessary for significance in art.

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But perhaps the most discussed aspect of Comedian was its price placing the piece as a a Comment on the Art Market and Capitalism. Its not the piece that is valued… it is the Certificate of authenticity. The piece sold for $120,000 at Art Basel, and subsequent editions reached similar sums reaching today the record proce of 6 million placing Cattelan’s to the zenith of the critique—and a celebration—of the absurdities of the art market. Why would anyone spend six/seven figures on something so seemingly banal and replicable? The answer lies in the buyer’s investment in the idea behind the piece, not the physical banana itself. Again you are paying for a piece of paper and the rights.

This phenomenon is a pure manifesto/embodiment of the zetgeist on the shift in modern and contemporary art markets toward valuing concepts over materials. Starting from Marcel Duchamp’s Fountain (1917), a urinal declared art by the artist, Comedian forces us to grapple with what, exactly, we are paying for when we buy or value art: the object, the reputation of the artist, or the provocative statement it makes?

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Sparkling viral discussions Its image was shared across social media, creating a global audience far removed from the elite confines of Art Basel. People who may never have engaged with conceptual art found themselves debating the piece’s merit and meaning. For some empowering for the greater masses enraging: art that anyone could recreate (a banana and duct tape cost less than $5) brought the seemingly exclusive world of high art into everyday conversations essentially democratising art.

However, this democratization also spurred criticism. Detractors saw Comedian as emblematic of art’s “devolution” into gimmickry, where spectacle replaces substance. Yet this very tension underscores its success: art, after all, exists to spark dialogue, whether it be admiration or outrage.

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Comedian fits seamlessly into Maurizio Cattelan’s oeuvre, known for its sharp wit and irreverence. Cattelan, the gold toilet America, Hitler, the pope, taxidermied horse from a museum ceiling, thrives on challenging institutional and societal norms. In Comedian, he distils his practice into a deceptively simple form, creating an artwork that is as humorous as it is profound.

With Comedian, he solidified his reputation as a provocateur capable of capturing the zeitgeist, merging absurdity with deep cultural critique.

Ultimately, forcing us to revisit the age-old question: What is art? A question that challenged academic painting norms, to Abstract Expressionism’s break with representation, and Duchamp’s readymades, the art world thrives on redefining its own boundaries. Cattelan’s piece becomes another milestone in this continuum, pushing the conversation into the realm of the absurd and in the beginning is not an easy step.

By presenting a banana and duct tape as art, Cattelan reminds us that art’s essence lies in its ability to evoke thought and emotion. Whether seen as a critique of consumer culture, a meditation on mortality, or a joke, Comedian achieves what great art often does: it makes us look closer, think harder, and question more deeply.

Maurizio Cattelan’s Comedian is far more than a banana taped to a wall; it is a cultural moment that captures the complexities of contemporary art and society. It reflects on impermanence, critiques the commodification of creativity, and democratizes artistic conversation. Whether revered or reviled, Comedian has cemented its place as a defining work of the 21st century, proving that even the simplest of objects can carry profound meaning when viewed through the lens of art.

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