'Banana' priced at $2,500

by Niki3 | July 3, 2008 at 09:02 am

1304 views | 12 Recommendations | 36 comments

A work of art called 'Banana' is on display at Gallery Page in Halifax where the artist replaces a banana each day in the gallery window sill. The asking price is $2,500 and in exchange, the buyer will be receiving photos documenting this project. The artist, Michael Fernandes, has had to explain that the beauty of this work is not the ordinary banana itself, but the process he is going through.

A passerby walking along Granville Street in Halifax might now have reason to think so. Because in the window at Gallery Page and Strange sits a humble banana.

At first glance, it appears to be a forgotten part of someone's lunch. Perhaps set aside because it's still a bit green and not really ready to eat. But on closer look the passerby will notice a tag alongside the piece of fruit. The artist is identified as Michael Fernandes. The work is called Banana. The price is $2,500.

It's a gutsy move, even for a recognized experimental artist, one that has sparked public bemusement, a guerrilla raid by the so-called Patrick Swayze Collective and the anger of some local students who claim the project has trivialized art.

“Collectors are contacting us, they've seen the picture on our website and they're asking us what medium he's using,” gallery co-owner Victoria Page said. “And I say, ‘It's a banana, you understand that it's a banana.' ” The window sill was chosen as a place where the public and private spheres meet and, since the middle of June, Fernandes has been exchanging the banana almost daily. Each time he uses a slightly greener banana to gradually reverse the ripening process.

“I'm taking it back to green, before green it doesn't exist,” said the 64-year-old native of Trinidad, who lived near banana trees before immigrating to Canada in his teens. “The banana is temporal. We are also temporal, but we live as if we are not.”

He's hoping to mount a similar project for the Beijing Olympics, using a blood orange.

The buyer should not be expecting a superlative piece of fruit in return for $2,500. The bananas Fernandes is using for the display are ordinary, purchased from local supermarkets. Indeed, most days the artist eats the banana he has replaced. Instead, the buyer will be paying for the concept and will receive photos documenting the project. The buyer may also get press clippings or credit as patron if the project is staged again.

I admit that it takes me awhile to understand some artists work, and to really appreciate what they are trying to create. Here are some other people's opinions of the Banana:

“Some people are really angry about the banana. Especially some [art] students who feel it's poking fun at art, [and say] ‘How can anyone take this seriously?' ” They're not the only ones uncertain how to react. The gallery's insurer refused to cover the piece, Fernandes and Page said, and one of the bananas was stolen not long after the exhibition started.

Last month, shortly before closing time, Page's business partner Victoria Strange was distracted while a mysterious group swapped the banana for an apple. The thieves left a note scrawled on a napkin, calling bananas “the most radioactive fruit on earth.”

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eastvanray

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 10:08 on July 3rd, 2008

Niki3, I like this story. It's good stuff.

I can smell my tax dollars at work here!

Geese~Unite

at 10:39 on July 3rd, 2008

This was taken on my first trip to Maui where our humble lodgings had only two really great features going for it...an ocean view and this banana tree on our back patio common. Below this hanging bunch of green beauties were several red ginger plants in full bloom and the contrast of the two colors together really popped with the amazing turquoise blue ocean...

I plan on moving to Maui someday, and one of my first orders of business will be to plant a banana tree in my yard with some bright red ginger below!

Geese~Unite has contributed a photo to this story.

karis75

at 11:42 on July 3rd, 2008

I took this photo at a banana plantation in the village of Mto Wa Mbu, Tanzania. The people of this village use bananas and their by-products for just about everything: food, animal feed, shelter, even banana beer.

karis75 has contributed a photo to this story.

Michael Popiel

at 11:57 on July 3rd, 2008

This shot came from the very first shoot I've ever done with food.

Michael Popiel has contributed a photo to this story.

Mo Pics

at 12:26 on July 3rd, 2008

This is a very intersting story.....

As for this picture, i had an assignment to take pictures of food and this is what turned out.

Mo Pics has contributed a photo to this story.

Jarrett Martineau

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 12:34 on July 3rd, 2008

Niki3, why only $2,500? If you're going to for it, why not push the envelope...the world's first million dollar fruit!

susanbd

at 12:49 on July 3rd, 2008

small but sweet
South Texas bananas

susanbd has contributed a photo to this story.

brew127

at 13:21 on July 3rd, 2008

This was taken in Sophienstraße in Berlin, which is a city full of great street art.

brew127 has contributed a photo to this story.

Dameglück

at 14:02 on July 3rd, 2008

A banana tree in bloom located in the Garden District, New Orleans, LA 6/08

Dameglück has contributed a photo to this story.

emilyxkim

at 15:45 on July 3rd, 2008

Well, I was sitting at my dining room table one evening and noticed this uncanny banana. For some peculiar reason it was split open as depicted.. I am still curious as to how and why it had happened.

emilyxkim has contributed a photo to this story.

itshotintexas

at 15:49 on July 3rd, 2008

A fantastic single Father delights his beautiful daughter with matching bananas just her size.

itshotintexas has contributed a photo to this story.

Norman Tang

at 15:49 on July 3rd, 2008

Norman Tang has contributed a photo to this story.

Amy Judd

at 15:57 on July 3rd, 2008

This is too weird for me - I don't understand it. I like modern art quite a bit but I'm not sure where this falls at all.

nandy77

at 16:15 on July 3rd, 2008

A common scene in the philippines where portable fruit stands are seen near church grounds to gain more access to possible consumers. Along with this bananas on display where other tropical fruits found in the philippines.

Sold at Php 2.50 per stick, one can get it...!!!

Thansk sundvick for the invite !!

nandy77 has contributed a photo to this story.

melg

at 17:00 on July 3rd, 2008

Big bunches of bananas for sale at the market in Port Vila, the capital of Vanuatu. The market sells fruit and vegetables, fire wood, fresh seafood and plants.

melg has contributed a photo to this story.

buza

at 17:03 on July 3rd, 2008

My advisor, the graphic designer John Maeda, was giving his last talk at the MIT Media Lab before becoming the president of the Rhode Island School of Design. A scanner, laser cutter, banana, brown pen and white paper were used in the construction of a set of posters presenting his talk. This was one.

buza has contributed a photo to this story.

Elizabethc

at 17:07 on July 3rd, 2008

One of my favorite foods - the banana. These three made great subjects for this acrylic painting.

Elizabethc has contributed a photo to this story.

davematthewsgirl2

at 17:45 on July 3rd, 2008

This is a really pretty picture of a bunch of bananas!!

davematthewsgirl2 has contributed a photo to this story.

JohnBurrowPhotography

at 18:12 on July 3rd, 2008

There's no particular reason I took this photo. It just seemed like it would make a cool picture.

JohnBurrowPhotography has contributed a photo to this story.

deadpoets75

at 18:45 on July 3rd, 2008

This bunch of bananas were bought for my kids. Liked the color so I took a picture of it.

deadpoets75 has contributed a photo to this story.

johannjo

at 19:54 on July 3rd, 2008

These bananas had to lean on an apple, they weren't feeling quite up to par.

johannjo has contributed a photo to this story.

DaFunk89

at 20:11 on July 3rd, 2008

my sketch book was plain so i decided to paint somethin random on the cover to spice it up LOL ..so here u have banana

DaFunk89 has contributed a photo to this story.

g-flow

at 22:20 on July 3rd, 2008

Mine was actually 'shot from the hip' while i was on a city trip in Berlin with a friend. Never thought this would actually turn out to be useful!

g-flow has contributed a photo to this story.

Sakena

at 23:27 on July 3rd, 2008

This banana is organic, and I was going to have it as dessert... But I love the shape and color of it so I captured my food first...

Sakena has contributed a photo to this story.

OhDuranDuran

at 04:30 on July 4th, 2008

Definitly intersting! My pic was taken at my local grocery store.

Bananas have gotten a bit more expensive to be sure and a lot smaller than they used to be.

Amazing for me, I was able to find a fully stocked shelf of bananas who appeared to be talking amongst themselves over other crazy priced stuff at the grocery store.

Some of the bananas in this piece were camera shy and not amused.

OhDuranDuran has contributed a photo to this story.

PrestonDave

at 04:41 on July 4th, 2008

A HDR image of a banana!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/prestondave

PrestonDave has contributed a photo to this story.

Kristbjorg!

at 05:40 on July 4th, 2008

"Going Bananas"

Kristbjorg! has contributed a photo to this story.

bingle.

at 06:54 on July 4th, 2008

banana: manila's staple dessert!

bingle. has contributed a photo to this story.

amanda redel

at 07:02 on July 4th, 2008

Foot of bananas - San Roque - Sao Paulo - Brazil

amanda redel has contributed a photo to this story.

magic12995

at 07:11 on July 4th, 2008

I saw these bananas in a produce department and the idea just came to me about making it into a flower by using baby bananas and an orange. Since I started taking pictures just this past may 2008 I look at everything as a great picture I can take.

magic12995 has contributed a photo to this story.