6.2M for a Banana: Maurizio Cattelan's 'Comedian' sold to crypto founder

Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan's work "Comedian" was sold at Sotheby's auction in New York for exactly $6.2 million.
The work consists solely of a banana and a piece of silver duct tape used to attach it to the wall. The buyer of the piece was Justin Sun, the founder of the famous cryptocurrency platform TRON.

This work by Cattelan, exhibited at Art Basel Miami Beach in 2019, caused great controversy in the art world at the time.

While some visitors saw the yellow banana and silver tape as tools of satire, others interpreted the piece as a critique of controversial standards in art collecting. Another artist even took the piece from the wall and ate it during the exhibition.

AUCTION STARTED AT $800,000

The piece, which received great attention at Sotheby's auction, started bidding at $800,000.

Within minutes, the price rose to $2 million, and then $4 million. Auctioneer Oliver Barker, supporting the cheerful atmosphere in the hall during the sale, said, "Don't miss this opportunity, I never thought I'd say this: five million dollars for a banana!"

Finally, Justin Sun topped a $5.2 million bid with an additional $1 million auction commission, making a total payment of $6.2 million.

However, Sun purchased not the physical work itself, but a "certificate of authenticity." This certificate allows a banana to be taped to a wall and exhibited under the name "Comedian."

In a statement made after the sale, Sun described the piece as a cultural phenomenon that brings together art, internet humor, and the cryptocurrency world.

He also stated that within a few days, the work would be completed with the banana itself being eaten, marking it as a "unique artistic experience."

Sotheby's described Cattelan as "one of the smartest provocateurs of Contemporary Art." The statement emphasized that the artist frequently produces meaningful and controversial works that turn the traditional art world on its head.

This extraordinary sale took place a day after the famous Belgian surrealist painter René Magritte's work The Empire of Light was sold for $121.2 million.

Magritte's work set a record as the highest auction price of the artist's career.