When Comedian first appeared, it was a punchline - a well-aimed shot at the hyper-commercialization of art and the empty spectacle that often drives the market. It was the art world, for a brief second, laughing at itself. But that moment has passed, and the joke is no longer on the industry. It’s on us. Sotheby’s decision to revive and auction this piece again isn’t a daring move; it’s a desperate cash grab. When an auction house like Sotheby’s gives its stamp of approval to Comedian—again—they’re telling young artists that it’s not about innovation, talent, or vision. It’s about being a spectacle, about going viral, about packaging your art as a commodity that can be easily consumed and resold. But art isn’t supposed to be this way. It’s supposed to be an act of rebellion, a pursuit of truth, a space where boundaries are pushed and where risk is rewarded. What Sotheby’s should be doing is championing those voices - amplifying artists who are unafraid to take risks, who have something new to say, and who are willing to challenge the very market forces that Comedian once tried to critique. Instead, they’re retreating to the comfort of an old gag, proving that they’re more interested in cashing in than creating meaningful, lasting change in the art world. It’s time for Sotheby’s to do better. To move past the empty spectacle, the gimmicks, the lazy stunts that offer nothing new. To stop chasing viral moments and start creating a space where genuine art—art that’s complex, challenging, and authentic—can thrive. The art world needs to get back to its roots, to remember that its purpose is not to commodify and consume but to innovate and inspire. Because if all we’re left with is a banana and a wall, recycled and resold as if it still matters, then we’ve lost the plot entirely. We’ve stopped being the curators of culture, and we’ve become the merchants of the mundane. And that’s not just embarrassing—it’s a failure. A failure of imagination, a failure of integrity, and a failure of the very institutions that are supposed to lead us forward.
The world’s most notorious banana. Maurizio Cattelan’s iconoclastic ‘Comedian’ will make its auction debut at Sotheby’s in November, with a $1-1.5 million estimate. First unveiled at Art Basel Miami Beach in 2019, the piece has earned its place alongside the most radical artworks of the century, from Duchamp to Warhol. Don’t miss your chance to see the sensation on the #ComedianWorldTour before the banana returns to #SothebysNewYork for the Now & Contemporary Evening Auction. https://lnkd.in/eFibPxxM
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2moWell said John. Felt the same here.