Comedian (artwork)

Comedian
ArtistMaurizio Cattelan
Year2019
Type
Medium
LocationArt Basel, Miami Beach, U.S.

Comedian is a 2019 artwork by the Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan. Created in an edition of three (with two artist's proofs), it appears as a fresh banana duct taped to a wall. As a work of conceptual art, it consists of a certificate of authenticity with detailed diagrams and instructions for its proper display.

Number two of the limited edition of three was sold to the cryptocurrency entrepreneur Justin Sun for US$6.2 million in November 2024. Soon afterward, he ate the banana onstage, comparing it to a crypto asset and saying, "the real value is the concept itself". Sun also stated that he would buy 100,000 bananas from the street vendor in front of Sotheby's who sold the banana used in the most recent refresh of the artwork.

The piece and another example had previously sold for US$120,000 each at Art Basel Miami Beach to significant media attention. The third edition was donated to the Guggenheim Museum.