Maurizio Cattelan

he's noticing that this sort of never-ending stream of art fairs just keeps getting more and more populated with big, splashy, abstract painting, figurative painting. And he starts to get annoyed that the entire art world is just sort of glomming onto all these splashy, pretty paintings. And where's the bite, right? Where's the provocation? And so he comes out of

he's noticing that this sort of never-ending stream of art fairs just keeps getting more and more populated with big, splashy, abstract painting, figurative painting. And he starts to get annoyed that the entire art world is just sort of glomming onto all these splashy, pretty paintings. And where's the bite, right? Where's the provocation? And so he comes out of

retirement to put this banana on the wall. And it really was kind of his like middle finger to the art market. He really was trying to say, look, you know, this entire fair is going to be brimming with pretty paintings.

retirement to put this banana on the wall. And it really was kind of his like middle finger to the art market. He really was trying to say, look, you know, this entire fair is going to be brimming with pretty paintings.

retirement to put this banana on the wall. And it really was kind of his like middle finger to the art market. He really was trying to say, look, you know, this entire fair is going to be brimming with pretty paintings.

So why don't I just cut through all the noise of that and I'll just do something simple and a little bit provocative and I will put a banana on the wall and I will call it art and let's just see what sort of, you know, grenade goes off or not.

So why don't I just cut through all the noise of that and I'll just do something simple and a little bit provocative and I will put a banana on the wall and I will call it art and let's just see what sort of, you know, grenade goes off or not.

So why don't I just cut through all the noise of that and I'll just do something simple and a little bit provocative and I will put a banana on the wall and I will call it art and let's just see what sort of, you know, grenade goes off or not.

I think it was just funny. It was funny and simple and audacious. And the idea that an artist would call this art, the idea that it would have value and the idea that other people would agree with him that it has value. There's just a level of absurdity there that he acknowledges. He was trying to lean into that.

I think it was just funny. It was funny and simple and audacious. And the idea that an artist would call this art, the idea that it would have value and the idea that other people would agree with him that it has value. There's just a level of absurdity there that he acknowledges. He was trying to lean into that.

I think it was just funny. It was funny and simple and audacious. And the idea that an artist would call this art, the idea that it would have value and the idea that other people would agree with him that it has value. There's just a level of absurdity there that he acknowledges. He was trying to lean into that.

I think he was on the one hand, I'm sure very tickled because he had caused a stir. And that's really what he's always wanted to do as an artist is sort of make waves and start a conversation. And I think he was certainly pleased, certainly pleased by that, because that is part of what he wanted to do was just to sort of shake things up a little bit. And he certainly did.

I think he was on the one hand, I'm sure very tickled because he had caused a stir. And that's really what he's always wanted to do as an artist is sort of make waves and start a conversation. And I think he was certainly pleased, certainly pleased by that, because that is part of what he wanted to do was just to sort of shake things up a little bit. And he certainly did.

I think he was on the one hand, I'm sure very tickled because he had caused a stir. And that's really what he's always wanted to do as an artist is sort of make waves and start a conversation. And I think he was certainly pleased, certainly pleased by that, because that is part of what he wanted to do was just to sort of shake things up a little bit. And he certainly did.

So there are various reasons why art sells and doesn't sell, but the art market is cyclical like anything else, right? And there are certain years where everyone is feeling flush and the world's wealthy feel like it's a good idea to buy and sell art at the very upper reaches and everything's fine and the art world feels like a party.

So there are various reasons why art sells and doesn't sell, but the art market is cyclical like anything else, right? And there are certain years where everyone is feeling flush and the world's wealthy feel like it's a good idea to buy and sell art at the very upper reaches and everything's fine and the art world feels like a party.

So there are various reasons why art sells and doesn't sell, but the art market is cyclical like anything else, right? And there are certain years where everyone is feeling flush and the world's wealthy feel like it's a good idea to buy and sell art at the very upper reaches and everything's fine and the art world feels like a party.

And then there are things like war and elections and the pandemic and these macroeconomic factors that can cause... even if they're the world's wealthiest people. These are billionaires. They have money in good markets and bad, right? They have it, but they feel a little sensitive to sort of splurge. It's a confidence game, right? How confident do they feel spending millions of dollars on art?

And then there are things like war and elections and the pandemic and these macroeconomic factors that can cause... even if they're the world's wealthiest people. These are billionaires. They have money in good markets and bad, right? They have it, but they feel a little sensitive to sort of splurge. It's a confidence game, right? How confident do they feel spending millions of dollars on art?

And then there are things like war and elections and the pandemic and these macroeconomic factors that can cause... even if they're the world's wealthiest people. These are billionaires. They have money in good markets and bad, right? They have it, but they feel a little sensitive to sort of splurge. It's a confidence game, right? How confident do they feel spending millions of dollars on art?