Maurizio Cattelan, the artist behind the infamous duct-taped banana artwork "Comedian," is presenting a new wall work at the Basel Social Club satellite fair. The piece, titled "BEWARE OF YOURSELF," is only the second statement wall work he has ever made. It is being shown alongside four other works by Three Star Books, a Paris-based publisher with whom Cattelan has collaborated for over 18 years. The presentation comes shortly after "Comedian" was stolen from the Centre Pompidou-Metz in France, though the fruit was quickly replaced.
This appearance matters because it marks Cattelan's continued engagement with the art market's satellite fair ecosystem, where his provocative, conceptual works generate significant media attention and public discourse. The new wall piece extends his exploration of text-based, confrontational art, while his long-standing partnership with Three Star Books underscores the importance of independent publishers in supporting major artists. The timing also keeps Cattelan in the spotlight following the high-profile theft of "Comedian," reinforcing his status as one of contemporary art's most talked-about figures.