Red
Banana already eaten, bids are now being accepted!
 
This week November 21, the art world made headlines once again when Maurizio Cattelan's iconic installation—a banana duct-taped to a wall—was auctioned at Sotheby’s for an astonishing $6.2 million. The buyer, Justin Sun, did not merely acquire an artwork but a symbol of the absurdity and brilliance of our times. This banana has long transcended its status as a simple object—it has become a global statement about value, impermanence, and the dynamics of the art market.
Inspired by this groundbreaking installation, I created my own interpretation: Blue Banana, Red Banana, and Yellow Banana. These works serve both as a homage to Cattelan and as a critical exploration of the question: What happens when the central object of an artwork disappears? What remains—and does it still hold value?
In my case, the banana has already been "eaten." What remains is a reflection on its meaning—a play on the concepts of originality, transience, and reproduction. The three color variations, reminiscent of Andy Warhol’s serial art, embrace the idea of multiplication while shifting it into a contemporary, digital context.
These works also reflect the tension between the permanence of art and the ephemerality of its material. A banana is a naturally fleeting object, destined to decay, vanish, and be forgotten. Yet, through art, it is transformed: it endures, even when it is no longer physically present.
The three variations are a blend of conceptual art and pop art. The bold hues of blue, red, and yellow give the works emotional depth while symbolizing diversity and transformation. They invite viewers to pause and question not only the mechanisms of the art market but also their own perception of value.
The NFTs of this series are now available on OpenSea. Additionally, there is an original photograph of the installation, capturing the banana in its initial state—before it "disappeared."
With this work, I aim to spark a conversation: What defines an artwork? Is it its physical existence? Its concept? Or is it the idea that continues to live in the mind of the viewer? Perhaps art reveals exactly this—not only the beauty of a moment but also the absurdity and brilliance of our world.
 
Best regards
 
Alexander Palacios