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Crazy Pablo: Going Bananas with Cattelan

You’ve probably seen that banana taped to a wall - but what’s the deal? Who’s the cheeky artist who thought a 25-cent grocery banana deserved the spotlight? And seriously, how do you even begin to interpret a work like that?

Author

Inbal Zakai
November 23, 2025

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One banana. Infinite questions.

A banana, duct-taped to a white wall, precisely 1.6 meters off the ground. That’s it. That’s the work. Visitors in the gallery pause, pull out their phones, laugh, gasp, and whisper: “Wait, is that the art?” And yes—it is. The moment Comedian was first displayed at Art Basel Miami Beach in 2019, crowds swarmed to see it, Instagram lit up, and the art world split in two: those who saw it as genius, and those who thought the whole thing was bananas. Then came the real punchline: someone walked up and ate it.

Fun Fact

The artwork was sold three times. Two editions went for $120,000 each, and the third sold at auction in 2024 for $6.2 million to crypto mogul Justin Sun, who then - yes - ate it onstage. His justification? "The real value is the concept." One edition was donated to the Guggenheim Museum, complete with a certificate and instructions to recreate it. The banana isn’t the point. It never was.

Think About It 🤔 

At first glance, it’s ridiculous. A banana. Duct tape. That’s it? But Maurizio Cattelan has made a career out of absurdity that bites.absurdity that bites. This is the artist who sculpted Hitler kneeling in prayer (Him, 2001) and staged the Pope struck by a meteorite (La Nona Ora, 1999). His humor isn’t just to make us laugh—it’s to make us uncomfortable.

Comedian is many things at once: a joke, a trap, a self-destructing sculpture. A banana taped to a wall is destined to rot. So why preserve it? Why pay millions for a fruit that’s literally decomposing? Maybe it’s a desperate attempt to immortalize something fleeting—to duct tape life to the wall before it disappears. The shape of the banana, too, isn’t accidental: it’s phallic, funny, and fragile. Power, masculinity, relevance—all eventually soften and fade.

And underneath the peel, Comedian is a playful punch at the art world’s love for overthinking. It mocks the need to intellectualize everything, to dress up even a banana in layers of theory and prestige.

How does it relate to the here and now? or What to say during casual conversation to show off your art knowledge?

It’s Not the Banana, It’s the Brand - “Let’s be honest - if you taped a banana to a wall, no one would pay six million for it. But Cattelan? He’s a brand. The work shows how cultural capital works today: reputation creates value more than content. It’s the same logic behind influencer marketing and fashion logos.”
Cultural Echo Chamber - “Comedian taps into something bigger than humor- it’s a mirror to our culture’s obsession with symbols and spectacle. We’re living in an era where anything can be art, or viral, or both, as long as it hits the right nerve in the cultural conversation.”

Now have another Look!

And If You’re Up for More…

  1. Dive into the irreverent visual universe of TOILETPAPER - the art‑magazine‑meets‑studio co‑created by Maurizio Cattelan and photographer Pierpaolo Ferrari. Bold collages, surreal imagery, no articles - just pictures that jump off the page and into your feed.

  2. If you want to catch Cattelan in full exhibition mode, he’s currently showing at the GAMeC in Bergamo, Italy - as part of the “Thinking Like a Mountain” program. This is a site‑specific showcase of his work and makes a strong case for his continued relevance.

Till next time — in a world this heavy, laughter is essential. After you’ve had a laugh at this post, hit reply and tell me what you think.

Yours,
Inbal Z M

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