We are grateful recipients of the gift of Comedian, a further demonstration of the artist’s deft connection to the history of modern art.
During last December's Art Basel Miami, one of the most talked about works of recent times was sold: "Comedian", the banana glued to the wall with adhesive tape, created by the provocative mind of Maurizio Cattelan.
Related: The Story Behind Cattelan's Banana
The three original editions were sold by Galerie Perrotin to three separate private collectors for sums between $120,000-150,000. Instead of including the banana and tape, the artwork consists of a 14-page certificate of authenticity and detailed instructions on how to install the fresh banana (the artist asks to hang it at 175 cm from the ground, at an angle of 37 degrees and recommends changing the fruit about every 7-10 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,” said Richard Armstrong, director of the Guggenheim Museum to The New York Times.
Related: John Baldessari: The Irony of Conceptual Art
The donors of the work to the Guggenheim remained anonymous. Among the three buyers of Comedian are Billy and Beatrice Cox, who are the heirs to the Dow Jones Company and passionate Miami-based collectors who immediately expressed their intention to donate the work to an important museum. The other collector known for purchasing one of the three editions is Sarah Andelman, the founder of the famous, now-closed Colette boutique in Paris. The third buyer has remained anonymous.
"It has been nearly one year since we presented Maurizio Cattelan’s Comedian on Perrotin's Art Basel booth," said Emmanuel Perrotin. "We are so fortunate that it has entered into one of the world’s most prestigious collections. It is a singular piece of conceptual art and I am so proud to see that conviction echoed by so many."
The Guggenheim has a special bond with Cattelan. Between the end of 2011 and the beginning of 2012, the museum hosted the retrospective "Maurizio Cattelan: All." Soon after, the artist announced his retirement from the art world and then returned with a work created specifically for the museum: America, a fully functional gold toilet. The work was later stolen during a temporary exhibition at Blenheim Palace in England in September 2019 and has never been recovered.
Related: An 18K Gold Toilet Artwork Was Stolen
The Guggenheim, which will reopen its doors on October 3 after being closed due to Covid-19, has not yet announced when it will be possible to admire "Comedian".
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