People in British Columbia are taking to Facebook Marketplace trying to sell their own versions of an art piece that raised eyebrows when it recently sold for $6.2 million US.
Comedian by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan is a conceptual piece consisting of a banana duct taped to a wall. Cryptocurrency mogul Justin Sun bought it at an auction in New York City. Later, he shared a YouTube video eating a banana in front of a crowd.
The piece has sparked discussion on what constitutes art and comments on wealth inequality and food insecurity. Sun received a certificate of authenticity and a roll of duct tape and a banana at the auction. The art piece must be recreated as the banana involved ripens and later goes bad.
The widely shared cultural moment has motivated some British Columbians to comment by listing their own taped bananas for sale on Facebook Marketplace. One listing from Surrey asked a modest $1,000, while another from Kelowna asked $1.8 million.
The Surrey listing markets it as “one of a kind” — made with masking tape instead of duct tape.
It’s not known if these listings will make the DIY artists millionaires, but it goes to show one can never overlook the ordinary when it comes to art.