Cattelan's Comedian Banana Heads to Sotheby's Auction with $1M Estimate

Maurizio Cattelan's conceptual banana sculpture Comedian (2019) will be auctioned at Sotheby's New York on November 20, 2024, during The Now and Contemporary Evening Auction, with an estimate of $1–1.5 million. The work, first presented at Art Basel Miami Beach in 2019 by gallerist Emmanuel Perrotin, consists of a banana taped to a wall and sparked global viral attention. Originally sold by Perrotin as an edition of 3, the first two editions fetched $120,000 each, and the third $150,000, possibly donated to the Guggenheim Museum. Buyer Sarah Andelman of Colette acquired one edition, while Billy and Beatrice Cox of Miami likely purchased another and donated it to the Guggenheim. The auction includes a certificate of authenticity and 14 pages of installation instructions by Cattelan, requiring the banana to be replaced every 7–10 days, positioned at a 37° angle, 175 cm from the floor. The work's value lies in its conceptual nature rather than physical materials. Cattelan described it as a sincere comment on value attribution in the art market.