A simple banana stuck to the wall with scotch tape is actually a work of art. Italian artist Maurizio Catalan is the creator of this art. It was estimated that this banana could be sold for around 12 crore rupees in Bangladeshi currency at the Sathobi auction this week. But it ended up selling for more than six times the expected price.
The work titled 'Comedian', made of a simple banana, was finally sold at an auction in New York, the United States, for $6.2 million, the BBC reported on Thursday. According to Bangladeshi currency standards, which cost more than 74 crore rupees.
Chinese cryptocurrency entrepreneur Justin Sun outbid at least six bidders to buy the 'comedian' at the auction held on Wednesday.
After purchasing the art, Sun said, 'In the coming days I will personally eat the banana as part of this unique artistic experience.'
The New York Times reported that the banana that hung in the 'Comedian' artwork on the day of the auction was bought that morning for just 35 cents. The question may arise in the minds of many people, why a banana bought for only 40 taka was sold for 74 crore taka!
According to a recent report by the Associated Press (AP), this art made its debut at the Art Basel fair in Miami Beach in 2019. At that time it became the fodder of huge discussion. The discussion escalated during the service when performance artist David Datuna, who attended the fair, grabbed the banana from the wall and ate it. Datun said that this was also a performance art of his in the face of widespread criticism about the matter.
However, another banana brought as backup to the service was similarly hanged. The festival of selfies started around this banana. The crowd of selfie-seekers eventually escalated to such an extent that the fair's show was called off. However, this particular piece of art was sold for $120,000.
In fact, even if the art changes, it is not possible to change the industry. If one buys the artwork by Maurizia Catalan, he will receive a certificate with the art. Only the one who has the certificate will have the opportunity to create the art with another banana at any time and in any place. Not only that, but according to the normal trend of industrial prices, he will sell the banana at a higher price than what he is currently buying it for.
David Galperin, head of contemporary art at Sotheby's, said: 'The artist Cattelan is often thought of as a 'trick artist'. But his work actually resides at the intersection of human humor and deep anger. He often finds ways to provoke us, not just to provoke us, but to make us look at some of the darker parts of history and ourselves.'
Bananas have a dark side. It is a product with a history associated with imperialism, labor exploitation and corporate power.
