People Go 'Bananas' Over A Banana Taped To A Wall In An Art Gallery That's Worth Rs 85.5 Lakh!

People who like to collect fancy things have the tendency to splurge on the weirdest things they can find. Believe it or not, a banana, duct-taped to a wall is selling at the Art Basel in Miami Beach.

This was a piece of art by noted Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan, titled 'Comedian', was priced at $1,20,000 - approximately Rs 85 lakh. It was presented by Perrotin, a contemporary art gallery founded in Paris, reports CNN.

Picture Courtesy: Instagram

Like most of Cattelan¡¯s works, the ¡®Comedian¡¯ also comes in three editions. And you'd be surprised to know that two of the three have already been sold. The artwork is all about - a banana (probably bought from a grocery store) and duct tape. No kidding! It also comes with a certificate of authenticity.

Emmanuel Perrotin, the owner of Perrotin Gallery, told CNN that the bananas are "a symbol of global trade, a double entendre, as well as a classic device for humor." A post was shared on Perriton Gallery¡¯s Instagram account and the caption reads, ¡®This piece offers insight into how we assign worth and what kind of objects we value.¡¯

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? Maurizio Cattelan's new sculpture 'Comedian' at Art Basel Miami marks the artist's first major debut at an art fair in over 15 years! Comprised of a real banana affixed to the wall with a piece of duct tape, this new work is no different than Cattelan's hyper-realistic sculptures lampooning popular culture and offer a wry commentary on society, power, and authority. In the same vein as Cattelan's America (2016), this piece offers insight into how we assign worth and what kind of objects we value. The idea of this work came to the artist¡¯s mind a year ago. Back then, Cattelan was thinking of a sculpture that was shaped like a banana. Every time he traveled, he brought a banana with him and hung it in his hotel room to find inspiration. He made several models: first in resin, then in bronze and in painted bronze for finally coming back to the initial idea of a real banana. Discover it on our booth D24! ¡ª Art Basel Miami Beach ? Perrotin Booth D24 ? December 5 ¨C 9, 2019 ¡ª #MaurizioCattelan #ArtBaselMiami #ArtBaselMiamiBeach #ArtBasel #Perrotin ¡ª Courtesy Maurizio Cattelan.

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The post also reveals that Cattelan was thinking of a sculpture that was shaped like a banana and bought the fruit. He also made several sculptures of bananas - first in resin, then bronze and then painted bronze - before deciding to use real bananas.

Maurizio Cattelan made headlines earlier when one of his artworks - the golden toilet - was stolen from an exhibition at Britain's Blenheim Palace. The toilet, valued at roughly 1 million pounds ($1.25 million), was titled as ¡®America¡¯, according to The New York Times. It had been installed only two days earlier at Blenheim Palace, west of London, after previously being shown to appreciative audiences at the Guggenheim Museum in New York.

Picture Courtesy: Yahoo News UK

Why would people shell out money on 'a banana' which is worth Rs 85 lakh? Leave your comments below.