Let it never be said that we don't cover high art, especially when it's this achingly dumb.
Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan created an installation called 'Comedian', which was essentially a banana taped to a wall with some duct tape. That's literally it. Cattelan's work is known for having a satirical edge, to be clear. He's aware of how silly it is.
For example, he created the infamous gold-plated toilet - called 'America' - that was stolen out of Winston Churchill's house some time ago. That gold-plated toilet was as equally satirical as the banana taped to the wall.
Anyway, the banana taped to the wall was valued at $120,000 and was sold to a French collector. However, earlier today, that banana was eaten by another artist. David Datuna, a New York-based performance artist, took the banana down off the wall, removed the duct tape, peeled the banana and ate the banana in a few short bites before he was escorted out of the gallery by security.
If that's not enough, Cattelan also made two more editions of 'Comedian', one of which sold for $150,000 while the other was sold at the same price. In case you this wasn't odd enough already, Datuna - that's the guy who ate the banana - posted his performance to Instagram.
Here's the video.
So, what's the lesson to be learned here? Modern art is ridiculous and has no intrinsic value? Well, not really. This is satirical art and it's valued so highly and is bought by people who can comfortably throw $120,000 to $150,000 away on a BANANA TAPED TO A WALL.
Maybe we need to look at the economic system that places such a value on it, and how we allowed that to happen. And maybe we need to start thinking about building some guillotines, just to have them.
