Art collectors who gushed out $120,000 (£91,325) for the hugely ridiculed artwork – a ripe banana fixed to a wall with duct tape – have spoken out to defend their purchase.
The work, which was done by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan went on display at an Art Basel exhibition in Miami Beach, Florida, on 7 and 8 December.
The buyers apparently paid between £90,000 ( About 12 Million Kenyan Shillings ) and £115,000 ( 12.9 Million Kenyan Shillings ) for the limited-edition pieces.
Billy and Beatrice Cox said they were “acutely aware of the blatant absurdity of the fact that ‘Comedian’ is an otherwise inexpensive and perishable piece of produce and a couple of inches of duct tape”.
“When we saw the public debate [the piece] sparked about art and our society, we decided to purchase it,” they said in a joint statement. “We knew we were taking a risk, but ultimately we sense that Cattelan’s banana will become an iconic historical object.”
As well as causing a stir in its own right, the banana artwork became the subject of sabotage when it was eaten by performance artist David Datuna.
Original article by The Independent UK
