\ 艺术果醬 | “超市买的香蕉，卖出15万美金 ”
There are actually two systems in this world: one is a human-set system, where things are placed above or below based on an artificial hierarchy; the other is the world’s original form.
—-Marcel Duchamp
这个世界其实有两个体系，一个是人设的体系，在这里有一种人为的等级，什么东西该抬高了搁在上面的，什么东西是该搁在下面的；另一个是世界的本来样子。
—马塞尔·杜尚（Marcel Duchamp）
On December 5th last year, a contemporary art piece that set a new record was sold at the Art Basel in Miami, USA. It was a banana taped to a wall with duct tape, sold for $120,000. The artwork was named “Comedian” and was created by the Italian national treasure artist, Maurizio Cattelan.
去年12月5日在美国迈阿密巴塞尔艺术成交了一份刷新当代艺术的作品。一件12万美金售出一根胶带粘在上面的香蕉。作品名字叫“喜剧演员”，创作这件作品的是意大利国宝级艺术家莫里齐奥·卡特兰Maurizio Cattelan。
Cattelan is known primarily for his hyper-realistic sculptures and installation works, which carry a conceptual awareness and a critique of reality. He is a self-taught artist without formal art training, and he prefers to be called an “art worker” rather than an “artist.”
卡特兰（Cattelan）的创作主要以带有观念意识和现实批判意义的超写实的雕塑和装置作品而闻名。他是一名自学成才没有经过专业艺术课程培训的艺术家。比起“艺术家”他更愿意被称为“艺术工作者”
He proudly admits to being a clown in the art world. He often disdains conventional social norms and says “no” to the world without any decoration.
他很骄傲的承认自己是一个一名艺术圈里的小丑。他常常不屑世俗的约定俗成和社会规范。不加任何修饰直接对世界说“不”。
Cattelan is adept at digging out ideas from popular culture and cultural history to generate new contexts through art. His works always capture the core of the audience’s understanding, with symbols of irony and tragedy clearly expressed in the design and narrative form of the works.
善与从流行文化，文化历史中挖掘思想并以艺术为载体产生新的语境。他的作品总能抓住观众理解的核心，象征着讽刺和悲剧的信息在作品的设计和叙述形式就清晰表达。
In the mundane and tasteless social life, Cattelan is like a sprinkle of black pepper, adding a more interesting level and flavor to contemporary art.
莫里齐奥·卡特兰在平淡乏味的社会生活中如同一剂黑胡椒让当代艺术提升了更有趣的层次和香味。
This contemporary artwork that caused a sensation consists of five key points:
这件轰动当代艺术圈的作品，分为五个重点。
01
The artist taped an edible banana bought from the supermarket to a white wooden board using duct tape, and displayed it as a work of art in the gallery. The artwork comes with a total of three bananas.
艺术家把一根纱线处理，可食用在超市买的香蕉一模一样用胶带粘贴在白木板。被视为艺术品展示在艺术馆。作品配套一共三根香蕉。
02
Two buyers purchased the other two bananas from each other for $120,000 each, and another banana was sold for $150,000.
两位买家互相以12万美元的单价去购买其他两根香蕉，还有一根香蕉炒到15万。
03
The artist does not provide after-sales service, and any rotting bananas must be handled by the buyer.
艺术家不提供售后服务，香蕉腐烂自行处理。
04
Performance artist David Datuna visited the exhibition hall and ate the banana on the spot. He posted a video of the act on his social media, titled “Hungry Artist.” He later claimed that the entire performance was also a work of art.
行为艺术家David Datuna前往了展厅并当场吃掉了香蕉。并在其社交媒体上放出视频，取名为“饥饿的艺术家”。他事后称整个行为过程也是艺术作品。
05
“Comedian” comes with a certificate of authenticity and replacement instructions issued by the artist, which means that the banana constituting the work can be replaced and continuously derived.
《喜剧演员》附有艺术家出具的真品证书和替换说明，这意味着构成作品的这根香蕉其实是可以被替换的和不断衍生。
// Is “Comedian” a sensational farce or a thought-provoking social phenomenon?
//《喜剧演员》到底是一场夺人眼球闹剧还是引人反思的社会现象？
The response to this work has been quite polarized. On one hand, the audience generally recognizes it as a contemporary artwork; on the other hand, some feel that “artists and con artists are becoming increasingly similar.”
这件作品引起的话题是非常两极化。一边是观众普遍认同这是当代艺术作品；另一边是觉得“艺术家和骗子越来越接近了”。
In an era where astonishing contemporary artworks constantly emerge, “Comedian” has become a significant turning point for contemporary art. It showcases the fundamental characteristics and essence of contemporary art, attracting public attention to art and artistic creation on a large scale. Additionally, it prompts the question: What exactly is art?
在每天不断出现让让匪夷所思的当代艺术作品的时代。这件作品的出现是对当代艺术一个重要的节点。因为它几乎经典地呈现了当代艺术的基本特征和本质，也大规模引发了大众对艺术及艺术创作的关注。除此之外，也对大众引出：究竟什么是艺术？的发问和反思。
When the unconscious behavior of an individual affects others, turning it into group behavior, the absurdity of the behavior is accompanied by a certain degree of social rationality, allowing the public to accept the phenomenon.
当个体无意识的行为影响了其他人，从而变成群体行为，让荒诞行为附带一定社会现象合理性让大众接受。
The “collective absurdity” generated throughout the process of this work is comparable to the artwork’s name, “Comedian.” The exhibition of the work feels like a unique comedy. People visit this banana to take selfies, pretending to appreciate and understand art. The participation of viewers gives this artwork a second wave of dissemination.
观众的反应和观看过程像是艺术作品的名字《喜剧演员》。从作品展览到现在仿佛一部独特喜剧。人们纷纷慕名而去参观这根香蕉，在香蕉面前自拍时自己的艺术修养。假装自己看得懂艺术。参观者的参与让这件作品得到二次传播。
Without audience participation, the work cannot gain value, and the work cannot be established.
没有观众的参与，作品无法获得价值，作品无法成立。
This phenomenon aligns with the classic sociological theory known as the “Spiral of Silence,” proposed by German communication scholar Elisabeth Noelle-Neumann. According to Noelle-Neumann’s logic, when viewers in a public opinion state express their opinions about “Comedian,” they pay more attention to the opinions of those around them rather than their own judgments. This is why Maurizio Cattelan’s “Comedian” achieved such widespread dissemination.
正如社会学的经典理论，来自德国女传播学家伊丽莎白·诺埃勒-诺依曼（E·Noelle-Neumann）提出的 “沉默的螺旋” 。依据诺尔·纽曼的逻辑，当身处于舆论状态的观众们在表达对喜剧演员的意见时，相比自我判断，人们更重视周围人的意见表达状况。所以莫里齐奥·卡特兰的《喜剧演员》才会产生大规模的传播。
The Spiral of Silence:
When people express their personal thoughts and opinions, if they see that their views are acknowledged and widely accepted, they will actively participate. These opinions will be increasingly expressed and spread boldly. However, when it’s noticed that few or no one pays attention to a certain opinion, even if they agree with it, they will remain silent. The continued silence of one side will influence the growing dominance of the other side’s opinions.
In this cycle of back and forth, one side’s voice becomes increasingly powerful, while the other side gradually spirals into silence.
沉默的螺旋：
人们在表达个人想法和观点的时候，如果看到自己赞同的观点，并且受到广泛欢迎，就会积极参与进来，这类观点会越发大胆地发表和扩散。同样当发觉某一观点无人或很少有人理会，即使自己赞同它，也会持续沉默。意见一方的持续沉默会影响另一方意见的不断的增势
如此循环往复，便形成一方的声音越来越强大，另一方越来越沉默下去的如同螺旋一般发展。
//When the public continues to discuss this work and tries to understand its rationality for the artist, is it a commonplace that contemporary art is just an old-fashioned mysterious manipulation of visual impact, or is it the absurdity of the audience themselves?
//当大众不断的讨论这件作品并尝试理解替艺术家解释其合理性，到底是老生常谈当代艺术就是故弄玄虚摆弄视觉冲击，还是观众者自身的荒唐？
Getting back to the point, why can a banana bought from the supermarket be sold for a “sky-high price” of 150,000 US dollars?
回到重点，为什么一根超市买的香蕉可以售出15万美金的 “天价”？
Before discussing this proposition, two concepts of contemporary art must be clarified.
首先讨论这个命题之前，必须厘清两个当代艺术的观念。
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The essence of contemporary artworks is the concept and information behind the work.
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当代艺术品的本质是作品背后承载的观念和信息
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The core value of contemporary art lies in exploring new fields or giving people new ideas.
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当代艺术的核心价值在于，探索新的领域，或者予人们新的思考。
The standard for judging art is constantly changing, and it is no longer common to use aesthetics such as techniques and colors as the standard. Contemporary artworks have subverted people’s previous aesthetic views and ideas about art.
评判艺术的标准不停地在发生变化，早已不是通俗以美学如技法和色彩作为标准。当代艺术的作品出现了不少颠覆之前人们的审美观和对艺术的想法。
When the boundary between art and non-art is becoming increasingly blurred. While constantly refreshing people’s ideas about art, contemporary artworks are also telling the public that under certain circumstances, anything, including behavior, can be interpreted as art.
当艺术与非艺术的界限正在被逐渐变得暧昧和模糊。在各种当代艺术作品不断刷新人们的艺术的想法的时候也同时在告诉大众，在一定情况下，任何东西包括行为都可以被解读是是艺术。
The so-called nobility, mystery, and what was once considered a patent for the rich of art. These rotten thoughts were all overthrown by Maurizio Cattelan’s “Comedian”.
艺术所谓的高尚、神秘，以及以前被认为是富人的专利。这些腐朽思想通过莫里齐奥·卡特兰（Maurizio Cattelan）的《喜剧演员》全部被推翻。
He truly integrated art into life, making contemporary art more popular. This work also reflects the general trend of contemporary art development. For contemporary art, the
aesthetic of the work is no longer important, but the function of metaphor and criticism is the focus of the audience. Art is no longer an “luxury item” that is out of the ordinary.
Contemporary art emphasizes social participation and interaction.
他把艺术真正融入生活化，让当代艺术变得大众化。通过这件作品也可反应出由现当代艺术发展的大趋势。对现当代艺术而言，作品的美观不再重要反而作品隐喻功能与批判意义才是观众的焦点所在。艺术不再是成为置身事外的“奢侈品”，现当代艺术更加强调社会参与和互动。
So when we discuss whether a banana is worth 150,000 US dollars, the focus is not on the banana itself, but on the form of art and the ideas it carries, the metaphors and symbols behind the work.
所以当我们去讨论一根香蕉售出15万美金到底值不值得的重点时不在于香蕉本身，而是艺术形式以及承载的思想，作品背后隐喻和象征的东西。
“Comedian” is a satire of art, carrying the artist’s satire of the audience.
《喜剧演员》是讽刺艺术，承载了艺术家对观众的讽刺。
A banana has led people to reflect on contemporary art, turning a banana into a carrier of thought. The humanistic value given and conveyed by the work, as well as its prompting of the public’s perception of artistic creation, awakening and triggering the public’s reflection, cannot be quantified with money. Of course, the artist’s identity also gives additional value, and Mauriz is a treasure-level artist in Italy, and his works have an international influence in contemporary art. His actions can attract a large number of audiences to participate and generate a lot of topicality.
一根香蕉推动了人们对当代艺术的反思，让一根香蕉成为了思想的载体。作品所赋予和传达的人文价值，以及它引发大众对艺术创作的认知、唤醒及引发了大众的反思，是无法去用金钱量化的。当然艺术家的身份也给与额外的价值，Mauriz是意大利国宝级的艺术家，作品具有当代艺术的国际影响力。他的行为可以吸引大量观众参与和产生大量话题度。
In other words, the “success” of “Comedian” in commercial value is jointly created by the artist and the audience.
换句话说《喜剧演员》在商业价值的“成功”是由艺术家和观众是共同造成的。
Finally, I would like to add a question and answer from the owner of the Beaubourg Gallery in the interview when Maurizio Cattelan’s “Comedian” was exhibited.
文章的最后想附上展出莫里齐奥·卡特兰的《喜剧演员》的贝浩登画廊老板在访问里的一则问答。
Question: What happens if a cunning collector retrieves the last unsold banana from the trash, or worse, tries to steal the banana while visiting the gallery’s pop-up store at the annual art fair?
问：如果一个狡猾的收藏者在垃圾桶里翻出最后一版没卖出去的香蕉，或者更糟糕的是，他在参观一年一度的艺术博览会上画廊的快闪店时，试图偷走香蕉，结果会怎样呢？
Answer: Without the artist’s certification of authenticity, the “banana” is worthless. “Such a work is not a work of art if you don’t sell it.”
回答：如果没有艺术家的真品认证，“香蕉”就一文不值，“这样的作品，如果你不卖，就不是艺术品。”
