Has the World Gone Bananas?

May 18, 2025

Many people have probably heard by now that a piece titled Comedian (2019), a work featuring a banana taped to a wall by artist Maurizio Cattelan, was sold again, but this time for $6.2 million to cryptocurrency entrepreneur Justin Sun. Sun added to the absurdity of it all by eating the banana during a press conference in Hong Kong. 

Cattelan is no stranger to controversy and has been crowned an artist in contemporary artistic landscapes. His pieces reflect social issues, commenting on status, wealth, authority and power. Some of his famous works include Turisti (1997), a series of taxidermied pigeons and artificial pigeon feces, and La Nona Ora (1999), which displayed a sculpture of Pope John Paul II underneath the weight of a meteor.

In an era where we talk more about wealth inequality and classism, it’s disheartening to see a piece like this sell for such a preposterous price—not just once, but three times. The art world often prides itself on pushing boundaries and challenging social norms. Yet, sales like these only reinforce the same systems of exclusivity and excess.

Others have critically analyzed the cultural and artistic reference to Cattelan’s work by linking it to the growing emergence of cryptocurrency and the art world’s embrace of satire. “I believe this piece will inspire more thought and discussion in the future and will become a part of history,” said Sun. 

Indeed, this will make its mark on art history in one of the most cynical and embarrassing ways. 

In 2025, the World Bank marked global poverty as a continuing and pressing issue, where 8.5% of the population (approximately 700 million people) live on less than $2.15 per day. Though the global percentage of poverty is decreasing, it isn’t projected to be eradicated anytime soon (1). When millions struggle to afford basic necessities, how do we justify absurd extravagances like purchasing a taped banana for millions?

I usually consider the other side of arguments and try to understand their reasoning. I’ve read justifications that Comedian emphasizes the need to diversify the art scene and bring lightness and humour into the art world. But what is humorous about extravagant displays of wealth that only highlight extreme class divides and poverty? Where do we draw the line between artistic expression and a blatant reflection of economic disparity? 

Take, for example, designer Sebastian ErraZuriz, who taped a dildo to a wall with duct tape and listed it for $12,000. If the justification is that anything can be art, does that mean I can put up anything at any price? More importantly, who gets to do so?

Do we become bad people when we spend money on excess when it’s clear that it could be used to help those in need? Maybe it just makes us hypocrites. After all, most of us, in some way, spend money on things we don’t truly need, like designer apparel, the latest tech gadgets, or impulsive online purchases. No one is entirely innocent in this cycle. But even with that in mind, a $6.2 million price tag is impossible to ignore without recognizing just how outrageous it is.