A Banana, Taped To A Wall, Is Selling For Rs 85 Lakh

A banana, duct-taped to a wall, has been sold at the Art Basel in Miami Beach. The installation by noted Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan, titled 'Comedian', was priced at $1,20,000 - or approximately Rs 85 lakh. It was presented on Wednesday by Perrotin, a contemporary art gallery founded in Paris, reports CNN.

According to Artsy, like most of Mr Cattelan's works, the 'Comedian' also comes in editions of three, plus two artist's proofs. Two of the three editions of 'Comedian' have been sold.

The artwork consists of a banana bought at a grocery store in Miami and a piece of duct tape. It also comes with a certificate of authenticity, and owners of the work replace the banana as they see fit.

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."

"This piece offers insight into how we assign worth and what kind of objects we value," reads a post on Instagram by Perrotin Gallery. The post also reveals that Mr Cattelan was thinking of a sculpture that was shaped like a banana and bought the fruit every time he travelled to hang in his hotel room for inspiration. He also made several sculptures of bananas - first in resin, then bronze and then painted bronze - before deciding to use real bananas.

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The 'Comedian' is the first time that Mr Cattelan has made an artwork for an art fair in 15 years.

Maurizio Cattelan made news earlier this year when another one of his artworks - a solid gold toilet - was stolen from an exhibition at Britain's Blenheim Palace.