Maurizio Cattelan’s $120K Banana Finds A New Home In Guggenheim Museum
Image via Shutterstock
During Miami’s Art Basel last year, Maurizio Cattelan debuted his artwork Comedian, which is a lavishly-priced banana stuck onto the wall with a duct tape. Three versions of the piece were sold, with the first two priced at US$120,000 each and the third for US$150,000.
Now, one of it will be displayed at New York’s Guggenheim Museum after it received the artwork as an anonymous donation.
The artwork had caused a ruckus and earned notoriety for being overly simple. Artist David Datuna even grabbed the banana, peeled it, and ate it in front of the crowd as part of his performance piece, titled Hungry Artist, after he claimed that he did not destroy the artwork because the banana itself was “the idea.”
The museum has received the Comedian piece along with a certificate of authenticity, which instructs the installation process. Some of the details include having the banana placed 175cm (5.74ft) from the ground and changing it every seven to 10 days.
“We are grateful recipients of the gift of Comedian, a further demonstration of the artist’s deft connection to the history of modern art,” Guggenheim director Richard Armstrong told the New York Times. “Beyond which, it offers little stress to our storage.”
The museum recently announced that it will reopening on 3 October 2020 after shutting down due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The Guggenheim is reopening on Saturday, October 3, and you can now reserve your ticket! 🎟 All visitors will need to reserve a timed ticket online in advance. Plan your visit and learn more about how we’re welcoming you back safely: https://t.co/te05SUDaAE pic.twitter.com/TgYWNdSnLr
— Guggenheim Museum (@Guggenheim) September 9, 2020
2019 Cattelan’s banana glued to the wall was sold for $120,000. Basel Art Gallery in Miami has sold two units of the controversial "comedian" artwork. Now 2020 it’s Guggenheim problem “little stress to our storage” pic.twitter.com/eQGAmV2IxP
— event ART technology (@evARTology) September 18, 2020
[via Dazed, cover image via Shutterstock]
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