PopeyesArt, truly, is a mystery. For some, it’s a profound expression of thoughts, feelings and experiences. For others, it’s a Popeyes chicken sandwich taped to a wall.
If you’ve missed the past week’s lunacy, let me fill you in about a rather pricey piece of fruit.
Entitled ‘Comedian’, Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan duct-taped a banana to a wall in Miami’s Art Basel – and it sold for $120,000 (£91,000). Then, a few days later, performance artist David Datuna peeled the banana from the wall and ate it.
PADon’t worry, it’s all part of the ‘art’. The piece is reportedly still as valuable, with director of museum relations Lucien Terras telling the Miami Herald: ‘He did not destroy the art work. The banana is the idea.’
It was a matter of time before corporate minds capitalised on banana-mania: on Monday, in partnership with Miami-based San Paul Gallery, Popeyes unveiled their ‘artwork’.
Featuring one of the chain’s infamous chicken sandwiches also duct-taped to a blank canvas, ‘The Sandwich’ is on sale for a whopping $120,003.99. Apparently, according to Thrillist, a buyer has already inquired about making a purchase.
PopeyesTo put that in perspective, you could use the same amount of money to purchase 30,076 chicken sandwiches (if you buy one less sandwich, you could afford a roll of duct tape too).
Fortunately, the piece isn’t designed for pure profit: if it does sell, which it will, all proceeds will be donated to the Popeyes Foundation, a non-profit organisation dedicated to helping communities in need with food and other resources.
PAThe banana has potentially started an art revolution. What will it be next? A Greggs sausage roll taped to a wall? What about a Big Mac?
Commenting on the reception to the banana, Terras added:
This has brought a lot of tension and attention to the booth and we’re not into spectacles. But the response has been great. It brings a smile to a lot of people’s faces.
I wonder if I’ll ever be blessed with the financial security to go and splash $120,000 on a bloody banana.
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After graduating from Glasgow Caledonian University with an NCTJ and BCTJ-accredited Multimedia Journalism degree, Cameron ventured into the world of print journalism at The National, while also working as a freelance film journalist on the side, becoming an accredited Rotten Tomatoes critic in the process. He’s now left his Scottish homelands and took up residence at UNILAD as a journalist.