British artist Damien Hirst was able to get a copy of the sensational installation “Comedian” by Italian author Maurizio Cattelan. Hirst said that he almost fell in love with a banana glued to the wall. He asked Cattelan to exchange his installation for any of his works or create a new one for him, but the artist refused.
Curator Francesco Bonami came to help upset Hirst. He felt sorry for the artist, so he sent him his own version of The Comedian. However, the curator asked him to flip the banana so that the work would be different from the original source. Hirst fulfilled the demand and shared the installation in his home interior.
Cattelan’s original work made a lot of noise at Art Basel in December. The installation provoked arguments about its artistic value and even became the object of two performances. Among its buyers were collectors Billy and Beatrice Cox and Sarah Andelman.
