Comedian (artwork) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Comedian |
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| Artist | Maurizio Cattelan |
| Year | 2019 |
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| Location | Art Basel, Miami Beach, U.S. |
Comedian is a 2019 artwork by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan. Created in an edition of three, it appears as a fresh banana affixed to a wall with duct tape. As a work of conceptual art, it consists of a certificate of authenticity with detailed diagrams and instructions for its proper display. Two editions of the piece sold for US$120,000 at Art Basel Miami Beach to significant media attention.
Background and description
Maurizio Cattelan is an Italian artist known for his tongue-in-cheek art, such as his 2016 creation America, a fully functional golden toilet.
Comedian is a piece consisting of a fresh banana duct taped to a wall. Cattelan purchased the bananas at a Miami grocery store for an estimated 30 cents. The work includes a certificate of authenticity along with detailed instructions for its proper display, intended for its owner to use when displaying the work. Both the banana and the duct tape can be replaced as needed; the physical representation of Comedian is not the work itself. It was Cattelan's first artwork for a fair in over 15 years. The piece was compared to Andy Warhol's 1967 pop art fruit.
Removal
In the morning on Sunday, December 8, 2019, Comedian was removed from the fair. The curators removed the piece because they were afraid other art would be damaged by queuing crowds. After the removal, Perrotin created a social media account dedicated to the piece.
See also
In Spanish: Comediante (obra de arte) para niños
