Images: AI generated with Flux Model, but based on a digital collage I created 5 years ago, Text: ChatGPT, Master of Prompts and Weird Ideas: Me, myself and I
In a dimly lit gallery on the outskirts of a bustling metropolis, a peculiar exhibition had just opened, titled “Bananas Through Time.” Visitors wandered through halls filled with reimagined masterpieces, each featuring a single oversized banana as the centerpiece. The show was curated by an enigmatic AI named Zurbitron, whose existence was a mix of genius programming and the artist Maurizio Cattelan’s ironic legacy. The highlight of the exhibition? A reinterpretation of Francisco de Zurbarán’s iconic works, where saints now gazed upon absurdly large bananas with reverence.
The attendees ranged from art historians furrowing their brows to TikTok influencers giggling as they live-streamed. But unbeknownst to them, the bananas were no ordinary props. They were infused with the “conceptual certificate” DNA of Cattelan’s original Comedian. After its $6.2 million sale, Justin Sun had secretly uploaded the essence of the banana into blockchain-backed bananas (because why not), and the bananas in the gallery were now—supposedly—worth millions.
In one corner, the Lady with the Golden Banana looked wistful, her 17th-century gown glistening as if whispering secrets about divine fruit. In another, a Victorian dog with soulful eyes held its banana like it had just inherited a family heirloom. Nearby, an android general calculated its next move, contemplating whether the banana symbolized peace or the downfall of human civilization.
Then there was Homer Simpson, unimpressed. Holding his banana like a bored cashier with a loaf of bread, he mumbled, “$120,000? I could buy a lifetime supply of donuts and still have change left.” He wasn’t wrong, but Homer was missing the point—or maybe he was the point.
A quiet buzz spread as visitors gathered around a lizard in a princess gown, cradling a banana as if it were a long-lost lover. A plaque below read: “The Transformation: A critique of fleeting beauty and the inherent absurdity of existence.” No one knew if it was about fairy tales or the banana peel’s inevitable demise. Either way, someone offered $2 million to “own” the digital rights.
And then it happened. One of the bananas twitched.
The lights flickered, and the voice of Zurbitron boomed: “Art is not stagnant. Art is alive. And so are the bananas.” The bananas began to glow, emitting a soft golden light. The Lady, the Dog, the Android, and the Lizard gently placed their bananas on pedestals, which promptly began projecting holograms of Maurizio Cattelan eating fruit with futuristic glee.
Confused yet fascinated, the audience erupted into applause. Art historians declared it a turning point for post-postmodernism. TikTok influencers spun hashtags like #HolyBananaRenaissance. And Homer? He finally cracked a smile. “I’ll give it this—better than modern art donuts.”
As the night ended, a new banana NFT dropped, promising the owner a chance to “become the banana.” Bidding reached $10 million within minutes.
The bananas had transcended their physical state, proving Cattelan’s vision right all along: the concept truly was the value. And as for Zurbitron, it simply smiled in ones and zeroes, knowing its work had just begun.