logo
episode-header-image
Dec 2024
21m 2s

The $6 Million Banana’s Appeal

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL & GIMLET
About this episode

Last month, Maurizio Cattelan’s “Comedian,” a piece of conceptual art that consists of a banana duct taped to a wall, sold at a Sotheby’s auction for $6.2 million. WSJ’s Kelly Crow traces the banana’s origins from Art Basel Miami in 2019 to the top of the art market this year.


Further Listening:

- A Russian Billionaire, an Art Dealer and an Epic Feud 

- The Basquiat Sisters on Managing One of Art's Hottest Brands


Further Reading:

- A $6.2 Million Banana and the Unexpected Return of the Art Market 

- Someone Just Paid $6.2 Million for a Banana Duct-Taped to a Wall 

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Up next
Jul 14
Why Elon Musk’s AI Chatbot Went Rogue
Last week, Grok went rogue. The AI chatbot – which users can interact with on X – posted antisemitic comments and graphic descriptions of violence before being deactivated, leaving users with a question: Where were Grok’s guardrails? WSJ’s Alexander Saeedy breaks down what happen ... Show More
22m 52s
Jul 11
Can Superman Save Warner?
The man of steel is back in a new $225 million reboot. Riding on this weekend’s release is the hope that DC Studios will finally begin to match the past successes of its archrival Marvel. Its parent company Warner Bros. Discovery views DC Studios as critical to its success or fai ... Show More
22m 36s
Jul 10
Who Will Be the Next Fed Chair? Maybe Kevin
For years, President Trump has feuded with the Federal Reserve and Chair Jerome Powell over interest rates. And now, two Republicans named Kevin (Kevin Hassett, one of Trump’s closest economic advisers and Kevin Warsh—a former Fed governor) are vying to be the next chairman of th ... Show More
22m 47s
Recommended Episodes
Sep 2024
The Great Art Market Reset
If you've been keeping an eye on the art market, you know that the industry has been going through some turbulent times... there's really no other way to say it: It's been a tough year, as the frothy post-pandemic surge in the art business has fully retreated.  Amid this market s ... Show More
48m 3s
Feb 2024
The Disturbing Business of Bananas
The disturbing business of bananas - a documentary looking at the dark history of the banana industry & The United Fruit Company. This involves the coup in Honduras, the banana massacre, and overthrowing the democratically-elected Guatemalan leader. The banana industry is respons ... Show More
52m 57s
May 2024
What 'Good Taste' Looks Like in 2024
What is a connoisseur? Who can be one? What role do they play in shaping tastes of the art market and the large expanse of art history?There's perhaps no better place to ask these kind of questions than at TEFAF, the many splendored Dutch fair where art, antiquities, and antiques ... Show More
40m 19s
Aug 2024
The world's most expensive painting might soon be on display + Headlines
Leonardo da Vinci + a Saudi Prince + one very old painting = a world of controversy. Salvator Mundi is the most expensive painting sold at auction. Dubbed the male Mona Lisa, Salvator Mundi is attributed to Leonardo da Vinci – but not all art experts agree that the work is by the ... Show More
20m 38s
Jul 22
PB 520: Five Big Shablams For Rotiserrie Chicken
This week we discuss how Superman has gone WOKE, if Nicki Minaj is the new Azealia Banks, Mamrie & Grace’s Potato Palm Springs, the Costco Guys headlining VidCon 2025, plus the villain of Toy Story 5: smart tablets. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt ... Show More
35m 23s
Aug 19
The High-End Art Market: Strategy, Status, and Serious Returns
Thinking about selling your company? 24 founders told us what really happens after the wire hits. — joinhampton.com/exit-reportEverything you need to know about turning art into a real (and risky) investment strategy.Carlos Cardenas is a Private Wealth Advisor at Austin Wealth Ma ... Show More
44m 18s
May 26
Zachary Small & Tim Schneider Break Down the New York Spring Auctions
In this week's episode of the ArtTactic Podcast, host Adam Green is joined by Zachary Small, culture reporter covering art for The New York Times, and Tim Schneider, founder of The Gray Market and a freelance journalist, to break down New York’s May auctions and what they reveal ... Show More
31m 48s
Mar 2025
574: No Such Thing as Pyramids in Johannesburg
Dan, James, Andy and Anna discuss scary bananas, sneaky eels and somewhat ironic songs. Visit nosuchthingasafish.com for news about live shows, merchandise and more episodes. Join Club Fish for ad-free episodes and exclusive bonus content at apple.co/nosuchthingasafish or nosucht ... Show More
58m 47s
Aug 2024
Stealing the Mona Lisa
In August 1911, an Italian handyman walked out of Paris' Louvre museum with the Mona Lisa tucked under his arm. It was an audacious theft that shocked the art world, aroused the attention of the world's greatest detectives and even saw Picasso eyed with suspicion. Speaking to Cha ... Show More
33m 12s
Jul 2024
Chia: Beyond Superfoods and Infomercials
What can the tiny chia seed reveal about the history of oil painting? For centuries, one of the most prized mediums of art at museums like the Met has been oil painting, a European tradition embodied by the so-called "old masters." This is the story of how the oil of the chia see ... Show More
44m 11s