Maurizio Cattelan’s duct-taped ‘banana’ artwork estimated to fetch up to US$1.5m at New York auction

Maurizio Cattelan's artwork Comedian features a banana duct-taped to a wall. One of its three editions is estimated to sell for between US$1m and US$1.5m at auction this month. Photograph: John Angelillo/UPI/Rex/Shutterstock

Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan’s notorious installation involving a banana duct-taped to a wall is once again putting the slippery value of art in the spotlight.

This month, international auction house Sotheby’s will put one of the artwork’s three editions up for sale in New York, with an estimated price of between US$1m and US$1.5m. The successful bidder will receive a banana, a roll of duct tape, a certificate of authenticity and instructions on how to install the work.