Why We Think Maurizio Cattelan’s $6.2M Banana Might Not Be a Smart Investment
Why We Think Cattelan’s $6.2M Banana Might Not Be a Smart Investment
When Maurizio Cattelan’s infamous banana sculpture, Comedian, sold for $6.2 million at auction, it reignited debates about art, value, and the role cryptocurrency plays in the current art market. While the sale captured headlines, the purchase raises significant concerns about its long-term investment potential.
1. Market Trends Don’t Favor Cattelan’s Work
Although this sale saw a nearly 50x return from its original $120,000 Art Basel price, it’s an outlier in Cattelan’s market history. Prices for his other works have dropped more than 80% since 2010, signaling that his broader market trajectory is declining. Relying on a single record-breaking sale as an indicator of future value is risky, at best.
2. Conceptual Art Has Limited Market Appeal
Comedian is not technically a banana or an object, but rather, a set of instructions on how to create your own artwork.
“The winning bidder will receive a roll of duct tape, a fresh banana, and a certificate of authenticity. The work includes detailed instructions for properly displaying the piece, allowing for both the duct tape and banana to be replaced as needed.” -Artsy
Many critics compare Comedian to Duchamp’s Fountain—a urinal that challenged traditional concept of art in 1912. Duchamp declared that this urinal was art, not because of the object itself but because of his selection of the object. While this may be significant to art history, it has limited appeal for today’s collector.
Recommended by LinkedIn
As an example, an edition of Fountain sold for just $1.6 million in 1999, which is a fraction of Comedian even though it holds far more cultural significance.
3. Editions Could Dilute Value
The sculpture exists in an edition of three, plus two artist proofs. Now that a record price has occurred, it is likely that the other owners will bring their works to market, potentially diluting its value. A similar trend occurred with Banksy’s Flower Thrower, where other editions were brought to auction following a record-breaking sale, ultimately putting downward pressure on prices.
4. Volatility of Crypto Art Collectors
The auction house agreed to accept cryptocurrency as payment, signaling that many of the bidders may be from the crypto industry and not traditional art collectors. Not surprisingly, the winning bidder turned out to be the crypto entrepreneur Justin Sun. While this sale coincided with Bitcoin’s all-time highs, it raises questions about the sustainability of its value over time if the crypto markets experience future volatility.
In Conclusion
While Cattelan’s Comedian is a fascinating cultural moment, it’s not necessarily a sound financial investment. Its record-breaking sale highlights the intersection of art, culture and speculation, but potential buyers should be cautious about assuming its value will continue to climb. For collectors and investors, understanding the broader market context and historical trends is key to making informed decisions. To learn more about Cattelan’s market and the broader art market, check out the Price Database on the Masterworks website.
What are your thoughts on conceptual art as an investment? Share your perspective!
Looking for a job in HILO HAWAII
1dAs a real artist, I oppose bananas being presented as art. I personally do not own a sword, but had Caravaggio been alive today he would surely have arranged a duel to settle this issue once and for all. This is nothing more than a stunt used for the shock factor alone to hijack the global news cycle who's algorithm amplifies the stories that generate the most controversy to add insult to injury a crypto tech bro was the purchaser, who used this purchase for the purpose of getting more eyeballs on himself and his pyramid scheme crypto-currency. Mark my words, these sort of activities will be seen for what they actually are and the people who enabled them will be looked upon the same way we now look upon money launderers, smugglers, and poachers of the last endangered rhino. I do hope the Federal Trade Commission, the IRS and the FBI are investigating the banana man and all who enabled this mockery to go to market. I have more aggressive words but this is not the place for them. I will however say this The banana taped to the wall is equal in character to a person selling out the largest opera house in the world only to fart into a megaphone.
Fine Art Dealers
1dIt would appear that ‘marketing’ remains one the greatest art forms of the 21st century.
Founder, Pärlas: Solving Public, Private, and Corporate Art (Asset) Problems.
1wIs it similar in difficulty and risk to securitizing an unproven patent?
CHRISTIE’S International Real Estate
2wInteresting….
Meantime Co.
2wIn general, art is a pretty bad investment.