Maurizio Cattelan’s controversial banana sculpture Comedian (2019) will enter the collection of the Guggenheim Museum. An edition of the work, along with a certificate of authenticity and an elaborate set of instructions for proper installation, was gifted to the museum by an anonymous donor.
The viral sculpture, which is composed of a banana duct-taped to a wall, debuted at Perrotin’s booth at Art Basel Miami Beach in 2019, where it caused a stir when it sold three times for prices ranging from $120,000 to $150,000. The piece was ultimately removed from Perrotin’s booth due to the number of onlookers it attracted.
Richard Armstrong, the Guggenheim’s director, told The Art Newspaper:
