Infamous artwork of banana duct-taped to wall headed to auction — here’s what a buyer will actually get for $1.5M

The creation world’s gone bananas.

Five years aft its creation, Maurizio Cattelan’s “Comedian” — consisting of a banana duct-taped to a wall — could fetch an eye-popping $1.5 cardinal erstwhile it is auctioned disconnected by Sotheby’s successful New York City adjacent month.

However, what you really get for $1.5 cardinal is not nan original banana.

The creation person who makes nan winning bid connected “Comedian” can’t expect Cattelan to travel and instal nan fruity activity successful their home.

Instead, they’ll person a certificate of authenticity, giving them nan correct to show nan activity and elaborate instructions astir really to show it.

Plus, they’ll get a caller banana and a rotation of duct tape.

The infamous artwork peeled backmost nan pretensions of nan imaginative manufacture erstwhile it was initially unveiled astatine Art Basel Miami successful 2019. It fiercely divided viewers astatine nan Florida creation adjacent earlier making world headlines and moreover appearing connected nan screen of The Post.

“Daring to redefine what creation tin be, Maurizio Cattelan’s ‘Comedian’ became 1 of nan astir talked-about sensations of nan creation world,” Sotheby’s David Galperin told The Post, adding that nan activity “continues to seizure nan zeitgeist.”

Cattelan initially created 3 editions of “Comedian” for Art Basel Miami, buying 3 bananas for little than a subordinate astatine a section market store.

Two of nan useful subsequently sold for a staggering $120,000, while nan 3rd was donated to nan Guggenheim Museum.

Now, “Comedian” — which will characteristic a caller banana and a caller rotation of duct portion — is going connected a “global tour,” being exhibited astatine Sotheby’s galleries astir nan world earlier nan auction successful New York City connected Nov. 20.

“This revolutionary activity of creation will spark imagination and provoke statement erstwhile it tours nan world successful our galleries, pinch nan nationalist having nan chance to erstwhile again witnesser nan artist’s magic,” Galperin told The Post.

Art critics person stressed that the beingness practice of “Comedian” is not nan activity itself, alternatively saying that nan portion poses questions and ideas astir what really constitutes “art.”

“Comedian” is simply a “commentary connected nan chaotic world of modern art, communicating really civilization understands, interprets, and engages pinch nan arts,” author Brian C. Nixon declared successful his book “Beauty (and nan Banana).”

And, judging by nan hype nan activity received astatine Art Basel 5 years ago, location is nary shortage of group who want to prosecute pinch nan work.

While connected show astatine nan Florida creation fair, capacity creator David Datuna ate nan banana disconnected nan wall, describing nan enactment arsenic a capacity portion titled “Hungry Artist.”

The banana was replaced later that day.

“Comedian” became truthful celebrated that it was forced to beryllium removed from Art Basel by curators acrophobic that different useful would beryllium damaged by a crush of crowds trying to get a glimpse of nan banana.

Cattelan — nan Italian creator who created “Comedian” — has been described by Sotheby’s arsenic being “among Contemporary Art’s astir superb provocateurs.”

In 2016, he deed headlines aft creating an artwork named “America” — a sculpture of a afloat functional aureate toilet.