A simple banana duct-taped to a wall sold for an astounding $6.2 million at an auction in New York. This unique piece of conceptual art, titled “Comedian,” was created by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan and bought by Justin Sun, a well-known cryptocurrency entrepreneur.
“Comedian” first appeared in 2019 at Art Basel Miami Beach. The piece quickly became a major topic of conversation. People at the festival debated whether the single yellow banana, taped to a white wall with silver duct tape, was a joke or a clever comment on the sometimes strange standards of art collectors. The piece gained even more attention when another artist took the banana off the wall and ate it.
The attention was so overwhelming that “Comedian” had to be taken down from display. Despite this, three editions of the piece sold for between $120,000 and $150,000 each, according to the gallery handling the sales at that time.
On Wednesday, the piece broke records when Justin Sun, founder of the cryptocurrency platform TRON, bought it for over 40 times its highest previous price at a Sotheby’s auction. Technically, Sun purchased a certificate of authenticity, which gives him the right to duct-tape a banana to a wall and call it “Comedian.”
The auction room was packed with people, many of whom were taking photos with their phones. The bidding started at $800,000 and quickly rose to $2 million, then $3 million, and continued to climb. Auctioneer Oliver Barker added humor to the event, saying, “Don’t let it slip away,” and later, “These are words I’ve never thought I’d say: Five million dollars for a banana.”
The final price was announced at $5.2 million, not including about $1 million in auction house fees, bringing the total to $6.2 million.
In a statement, Sun explained his purchase: “This piece represents a cultural phenomenon that bridges the worlds of art, memes, and the cryptocurrency community.” He added that he plans to eat the banana soon as part of this unique artistic experience, honoring its place in both art history and popular culture.
Sotheby’s described Cattelan as “one of Contemporary Art’s most brilliant provocateurs,” praising his ability to disrupt the art world’s norms in meaningful and often controversial ways.
The sale of “Comedian” happened alongside another significant auction. A painting by Belgian surrealist René Magritte sold for $121.2 million, setting a record for the artist. The painting, “The Empire of Light,” shows a strange nighttime streetscape under a pale blue daytime sky and was part of Christie’s sale of the collection of interior designer Mica Ertegun. Magritte’s work is now part of an exclusive group of artists whose pieces have sold for more than $100 million. This group includes famous names like Leonardo da Vinci, Pablo Picasso, and Andy Warhol.
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Maurizio Cattelan, known for his hyper-realistic installations and sculptures, sees “Comedian” as a provocation. “It’s a provocation that invites us to reflect on the value of art and the dynamics of this market,” Cattelan said in an interview. He sees the piece as a statement on the fragile and sometimes absurd nature of the art market.
Cattelan’s other works include a fake horse hanging from a ceiling, the late Pope John Paul II being struck by a meteorite, and a marble hand with a raised middle finger outside Milan’s Stock Exchange. Despite the high-stakes auction, Cattelan was reportedly fast asleep, dreaming about his favorite soccer team winning a game.
“Comedian is a laugh against a tired system,” Cattelan stated, “an invitation to rediscover the power of irony and simplicity.” This provocative piece has certainly left a mark on the art world, challenging people’s views and sparking conversations about what makes something art and its value in today’s world.
