Humans may attribute value based on a variety of criteria. One may assume that because an item is useful, such as food, it is valuable. This is what Plato called the intrinsic value. However, even if an object is not useful by itself, it can obtain instrumental value through the context that surrounds it. The conditions granting an object extrinsic value are too varied to mention here, sometimes being too illogical and subjective to condense into written words, but, unexpectedly, extrinsic value is usually the most desired.

In 2019, Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan would sell two editions of his piece "Comedian" for 120000 USD, to the horror of many art critics. The artwork, when correctly showcased, consists of a banana held against the wall with duct tape. The piece was critiqued due to its lack of beauty, and the simplicity of its form.

In 2021, the trading volume of Non Fungible Tokens (NFTs), in an unprecedented spike, increased to 17 billion USD. Some of the more well-known digital art NFT collections, including CryptoPunks and Bored Apes, consisted of ten thousand randomly generated images of pixelated heads and upper torsos of monkeys, respectively, the ownership rights of which were subsequently sold for apparently ludicrous numbers. The digital artwork was criticised for its unpleasant appearance, as well as fuelling speculative valuation of the items.

There is a saying that life imitates art. In later years, this expression has gained popularity over the idea it refutes, that is, that art is born from the representation of reality. The 2024 videogame “Banana” almost paradoxically supports both sides of the argument in a genius showcase of a side of human behaviour that becomes more relevant each passing day. Art imitates life, through the naturally emerging market inside this work, life imitates art, through the attribution of value to useless, unpleasant pieces.

Banana (2024) puts an end to this false dichotomy, fusing what at first were irreconcilable views, and that in itself, is art.