Danish Artist’s ‘Vulva Banana’ Sells for $12,869 at Enter Art Fair

A banana sculpture shaped to resemble a vulva, created by Danish artist Thyra Hilden, has sold for $12,869 at the Enter Art Fair on Sunday, August 31.

The work was purchased by Anders Andersen, founder of a co-working office venture, who said he was drawn to the message behind the piece. “The price might sound ridiculous, but I hope the real value will come from what the female artist wishes to express through the work,” he told Reuters, adding that the banana would be replaced daily.

Hilden deliberately priced the piece at just 10% of Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan’s famed banana artwork Comedian. Cattelan’s taped banana originally sold for $120,000 at Art Basel Miami Beach in 2019, with subsequent editions reaching the same price – and one selling for $6.24 million at Sotheby’s in November 2024.

By contrast, Hilden’s “vulva banana” was conceived to spark discussion about how women artists are undervalued compared to men in the art world. “I hope this work will help ignite meaningful conversations about equality in both art and society,” Hilden said.

The sale took place during Enter Art Fair, Scandinavia’s largest international art event, which this year featured more than 90 galleries representing over 20 countries.