Maurizio Cattelan’s ‘Comedian,’ Explained: Here’s Everything We Published on the Viral Banana Art, All in One Place

Like it or not, the most talked-about artwork of 2019 is a
banana. Or, more accurately, a conceptual work of art that involves
a banana duct-taped to a wall.

In the final month of the year, Maurizio Cattelan accomplished a
feat rarely achieved by any artist other than Banksy: he created a
work of art that provoked debate and discussion among audiences of
all types, around the world. Comedian, the first work
the Italian artist created for an art fair in 15 years, debuted at
Art Basel Miami Beach in the first week of December—and promptly
captivated everyone.

To document for posterity how this humble piece of produce
became a global phenomenon, we have pulled together all of our
coverage in one place. Below, check out the evolution of this work
from a witty stunt to an unlikely symbol of a labor movement, a
pawn in a discussion about financial securities, and much, much
more.

Fairgoers take pictures of Maurizio Cattelan's Comedian, for sale from Perrotin at Art Basel Miami Beach. Photo by Sarah Cascone.

Fairgoers take pictures of Maurizio
Cattelan’s Comedian, for sale from Perrotin at Art Basel
Miami Beach. Photo by Sarah Cascone.

Maurizio Cattelan Is Taping
Bananas to a Wall at Art Basel Miami Beach and Selling Them for
$120,000 Each

Maurizio Cattelan’s
$120,000 Banana Was Ejected From Art Basel Miami Beach After
Drawing Unsafe Crowds (and Getting Eaten)

How the Unhinged Reaction
to Maurizio Cattelan’s Banana Revealed the Thin Line Between the
Art World and Total Anarchy

Buyers of Maurizio
Cattelan’s $120,000 Banana Defend the Work as ‘the Unicorn of the
Art World,’ Comparing It to Warhol’s Soup Cans

‘A Banana Is Worth More
Than Us’: Maurizio Cattelan’s $120k Fruit Art Has Sparked an
Uprising Among Miami’s Underpaid Janitors

Some People Think
Cattelan’s Banana Is Genius. This Law Professor Thinks It’s
Illegal

The post Maurizio Cattelan’s ‘Comedian,’ Explained: Here’s
Everything We Published on the Viral Banana Art, All in One
Place
appeared first on artnet News.

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