Maurizio Cattelan’s controversial artwork featuring a banana duct-taped to a wall has sold for $6.2 million at a Sotheby’s auction in New York, far surpassing the initial estimate.
Chinese cryptocurrency entrepreneur Justin Sun outbid six other competitors to buy the piece, titled “Comedian,” by the Italian artist. Sun later said he plans to eat the banana as part of the “unique artistic experience.”
The banana, which was purchased for just $0.35 earlier that day, gained worldwide attention when it was first revealed in 2019. The installation has sparked debates about the nature of art and has been displayed globally. It comes with instructions for replacing the banana when it rots.
Interestingly, the banana has been eaten twice in the past. In 2023, a South Korean student ate it at a museum in Seoul, and in 2019, a performance artist ate the fruit at Art Basel in Miami after it was sold for $120,000. Both times, the banana was replaced.
Justin Sun is the founder of the Tron blockchain network, which deals with cryptocurrency. He is currently facing fraud charges from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which he denies.