Artwork of banana duct-taped to wall estimated to sell for more than €1.2m

It has since been eaten twice, once as part of a performance art piece and then by a hungry student who taped the peel back to the wall

The artwork Comedian is to go up for sale in New York (Sotheby’s/PA)

The controversial artwork, Comedian, by Maurizio Cattelan which consists of a banana duct-taped to a wall is expected to sell for more than €1.2 million at auction with an expert saying “the public will decide its true value”.

The work divided art fans and critics when it made its debut at the Art Basel Miami Beach show in 2019, and has since been eaten twice, once as part of a performance art piece called Hungry Artist, and then by a hungry student who taped the peel back to the wall.