In an intriguing turn of events, a banana sold by Shah Alam, a 74-year-old fruit vendor stationed outside Sotheby's in Manhattan, New York, became a central element of a conceptual art piece titled 'Comedian' by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan. The artwork, which featured the banana duct-taped to a wall, was sold to an unnamed collector for £5,000,000. Alam, who hails from Bangladesh and relocated to the US in 2007, sells his bananas at £0.20 each or £0.79 for a bunch. The New York Times revealed to Alam the fate of his banana, eliciting an emotional response from the vendor, who expressed his disbelief and astonishment at the artwork's sale price.
'Comedian' has sparked diverse reactions since its debut at Art Basel Miami Beach in 2019, leaving many to ponder its intended message. The piece recently changed hands again when Justin Sun, a cryptocurrency platform founder, acquired a certificate that allows him to replicate the artwork. Sun expressed his intention to consume the banana as part of the artwork's ongoing narrative, linking it to broader cultural phenomena across art, memes, and the cryptocurrency community. Cattelan, upon learning about Alam's reaction, remarked on the profound and unexpected ways art can resonate, while also noting its limitations in solving real-world problems.
Source: Metro