People lost it in 2019 when a photo of a banana duct-taped to a wall became a viral sensation, sparking the conversation about what art truly is. Five years later, the iconic work of conceptional art known as Comedian made headlines again after selling at auction for a mind-blowing $6.2 million.
Comedian is the work of the Italian conceptional artist Maurizio Cattelan, and it became quite a sensation following its first display in 2019. After sparking a heated debate about the meaning of art in the modern world, the installation traveled around the globe – along with the instruction for the banana to be replaced after it rots.
Two editions of this artwork sold for $120,000 each at Art Basel Miami Beach, while the third was donated to the Guggenheim Museum, but it turns out that was just the beginning. One of the original bananas was on display during a recent auction at Sotheby’s in New York, where it fetched $6.2 million.
The Chinese cryptocurrency entrepreneur Justin Sun outbid six rivals to buy the artwork, and he claims he’s planning to eat it as part of this unique artistic experience.
“This is not just an artwork; it represents a cultural phenomenon that bridges the worlds of art, memes, and the cryptocurrency community. I believe this piece will inspire more thought and discussion in the future and will become a part of history,” wrote Sun on X (formerly known as Twitter).
