The fate of certain scandalous works of art from the past and present centuries
Author: Mark Paradox
Maurizio Cattelan
Maurizio Cattelan is an Italian conceptual artist based in New York, known as one of the most controversial and unpredictable figures in contemporary art. Cattelan likes to put viewers in a position where they are not immediately sure whether they are looking at a work of art, a joke, or a carefully devised trap. In December 2019, at the Art Basel Miami Beach art fair in Miami, USA, the trap turned out to be remarkably simple. An ordinary yellow banana was attached to the wall of a gallery booth with a piece of duct tape.
No pedestal, no display case, no elaborate construction. Just a banana, a strip of adhesive tape, and a wall. The work was titled Comedian. At first glance, it seemed like a joke or a mockery of art. Yet it became a serious artistic and commercial event, discussed in the press, photographed, and purchased. In the world of contemporary art, even the most ordinary objects can acquire an extraordinary fate. And this particular fate was not long in coming.
The Triptych: The Story of the Banana Exhibit
The first person to take an interest in the banana was artist David Datuna (1974–2022), born in Tbilisi and based in New York. He became known for his Viewpoint of Millions series: multilayered compositions made from photographs, newspaper and magazine clippings, and painting, covered with numerous optical lenses. The lenses created unusual perspectives, symbolizing the diversity of human perception.
At Art Basel Miami Beach, Datuna decided to become part of the artistic event himself. He approached the wall, removed the banana, and ate it in front of the audience. He called his action Hungry Artist.
The gallery staff were probably not prepared for a work of art to turn out to be so edible. Still, no catastrophe occurred: the banana was replaced, and the artwork continued to exist. Its artistic idea lay not so much in the particular fruit as in the concept, authenticated by a certificate and installation instructions. At the time, the work was valued at $120,000.
Style: David Datuna’s optical lenses.
Several years later, the story repeated itself. At the Leeum Museum in Seoul, where Cattelan’s Comedian was on display, a student named Noh Huyn-soo took the banana off the wall and ate it. He then attached the empty peel back in its original place. Asked why he had done it, the student explained that he had skipped breakfast and was hungry. The museum did not make a drama out of the incident: the eaten banana was replaced with a new one. As in Datuna’s case, the issue was not the preservation of a particular fruit, but the continued existence of the artistic concept.