In a bizarre intersection of art, commerce and social media, the US is currently going crazy for Japanese strawberries, which are sold individually and priced at US$19 each. In November last year, Maurizio Cattelan’s artwork featuring a real banana sold for US$5.2 million. This season’s strawberry from Kyoto can be framed as a consumer-level sequel in overpriced fruit art.
As far as anyone can tell, the strawberry is a genuine product, although the narrative surrounding its rarity and shipping is the apotheosis of creative consumer design and marketing. After a video from TikTok creator Alyssa Antoci went viral, the strawberry is now experiencing record sales.
