After the assault on the US Capitol, the Banana by Maurizio Cattelan, Comedian, which amazed so much with its verve of bizarre and a high dose of unlikely absurdity – presented at Art Basel Miami in 2019 – resonates as a symbolic premonition of the loss of every certainty: of art, democracy and institutional powers. Starting from the United States of America to reach Europe and the whole of the West. It is well known that the word democracy clashes a little with the consonants that make up the abbreviation U.S.A and annexed nuclear weapons, whose particles have nothing in common with the italian lyrics of the Pinguini Tattici Nucleari songs.

In this storm of Trumpian hormones moved by the delirium of nuclear tactical omnipotence, the image of that ordinary yellow fruit hung with scotch tape and then eaten by David Datuna (after being sold for one hundred and twenty thousand dollars) arises presumptuously during his performance Hungry Artist. This is also a demonstration and testimony of the media greed of the performer, by getting caught. Although here the question is not about a hypothetical eating disorder but rather about a probable existential disorder. Of art and a part of the world, in fact.

And, apparently, according to the banana prophecy, it is the scotch that holds the hold of our world hung, suspended, but followed and self-made with Western values ​​which, instead of abusing the mantra “Om”, prefer to be abused by the mantra “Tik Tok”- made in Asia – to convey choreographic and sound images of many hanging bananas. Then, of course, when we talk about Cattelan, his incredible DNA chain always stands out, able to offer, to the art market, anything – that not even Aladdin could compete – and always have a collector buyer, rodent, who would be also willing to grab his saliva, perhaps to freeze it and then sell it for exorbitant prices.

Also because if the West hangs, like a banana, I see no reason not to consider a certain salivated fluidity that connects us with our vital functions. In the loss of all certainty, to each his/her own spit and drift. No, sorry! Saliva.

It is therefore not surprising that the statement by former President George W. Bush – whom I never thought I would mention – who commented on the events that took place at the US Capitol as “disgusting scenes from the Banana Republic”. The vision of Cattelan’s banana from the forgotten din of Miami in 2019 can only come back to mind, that is, that fruit where there is no dimension of art.

But it is no longer important to shed light on this aspect because the story we are experiencing is already a dramatic comedy where at the moment art itself has left the scene. There is only the adhesive of the scotch tape to support, precariously, what remains of the world. In fact, not even the shadow of art.

Cattelan, however, had warned us – in his own way – but it was not fully understood. It is not a banana to eat, it is not the fruit where art slips but it is more. It is what remains of the fragility of our world. It tells of the precariousness of the time where the gods fell. There is no longer room even for the imagination of Eve’s apple. There is no longer any garden of Eden. No poetry. No form of ethics. There is only a banana that announces that anything can happen. And there we are in front of it. With the tightness of our scotch tape and our smartphone that cannot have long life.

Nilla Zaira D’Urso