Food for Thought: Man Ate a 6.2 Million Dollar Art Piece

By: Madelyn D. ‘25

Crypto entrepreneur Justin Sun consumed a 6.2 million dollar piece of artwork, called the “Comedian.” Created by Italian artist Mauruzui Cattelan in 2019, it was a singular banana taped to a wall. The banana was bought from Shah Alam, a street vendor in Miami, who stated that he felt like the joke of the “Comedian” was done at his expense. He told the New York Times, “I have never had this kind of money; I have never seen this kind of money.” Mr. Alam has received no money from the artist for the banana other than the 25 cents it was originally sold for. A GoFundMe titled “Help the “comedian” banana vendor Shah Alam” has been the sole effort made to compensate the vendor. 

How do we define art? Can simple, everyday objects become art? Are they art themselves? This genre is called Dada or Dadaism and wanted to mock materialistic attitudes toward art. The most well-known Dada artist is Marcel Duchamp who wrote “R. Mutt 1917” on a urinal flipped to its side. Duchamp created the piece which he named “Fountain” to challenge the idea of traditional art and similarly mock materialism. This concept caused me to wonder if I fall victim to similar materialistic ideals. Objects I own - like shoes - are from more well-known brands rather than cheaper ones under lesser-known names. I found myself criticizing the man for buying the “Comedian” simply for the recognition but realized that is why we consume most things: for the way others perceive us. With this in mind, one could deduce that Dadaism is a political statement on consumerism. Mauruzui Cattelan told The New York Times that “art, by its nature, does not solve problems – if it did, it would be politics.” I would rebuke this statement and use Rosie the Riveter as a primary example of how art can solve political problems. That piece of art inspired women to break away from traditional gender roles and enter the workforce during the war. Although art can be an escape from reality, it can also mirror it. Because art is often focused on its intended audience, modern art is critiqued as people believe it caters to the wealthy. 

So here is some food for thought: What do you consider art, why do you consider it art, and should everyone enjoy art?