Duct-Taped Banana "Art" Sells For Over $6 Million!
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"Comedian," a conceptual artwork featuring a banana duct-taped to a wall, fetched an astounding $6.2 million at a Sotheby’s auction on November 20, 2024. Bidding began at $800,000 and quickly surged to $4 million and then $5.2 million, plus $1 million in auction fees. The final price surpassed the $1.2 million pre-auction estimate for the artwork.
Created by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan, "Comedian" sparked widespread controversy when it debuted at Miami's Art Basel in 2019. Cattelan explained that the piece explored how society assigns value to everyday objects. He had initially thought of crafting a banana using resin or bronze. However, the artist ultimately chose a real banana to convey his message. The artwork gained even more fame after a visitor ate the banana, forcing officials to replace it with a backup.
Its immense popularity drew large crowds. Concerned the visitors might damage other artworks"Comedian" was eventually removed from public display. However, three editions of the artwork were sold at the time for prices ranging from $120,000 to $150,000 each. One of these was later donated to the Guggenheim Museum in New York City. It remains unclear which edition was auctioned on November 20.
Regardless, five years later, Chinese-born entrepreneur Justin Sun paid over 40 times the highest original price for "Comedian". The artwork's value was not in the banana itself, which had been purchased earlier that day for just 35 cents. Instead, its worth lies in the certificate of authenticity. It grants Sun the right to duct tape a banana to a wall and call it "Comedian." He also received installation instructions, including how to replace the fruit whenever it rots.
Sun said. "[The artwork] represents a cultural phenomenon that bridges the worlds of art, memes, and the cryptocurrency community."
"Additionally, in the coming days, I will personally eat the banana as part of this unique artistic experience, honoring its place in both art history and popular culture." he remarked.
Sun made good on this promise by devouring the fruit in a press conference held in Hong Kong on November 29, 2024.
“It’s much better than other bananas,” Sun told reporters. “It’s really quite good.”
Since the sale, a kind Samaritan has helped raise over $19,000 to support the New York fruit vendor whose banana was used in the auction.
Resources: NPR.org, Smithsonianmag.com, CNN.com
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98 Comments
merryberry13 daysI get the joke but why can modern art sell for millions of dollars.
emmaanna14 daysSun just wanted to show how much money he has
jaeinroyce13 daysI so agree!!
skyza14 daysthat is NOT art, its an overpriced banana- skyza14 daysI dont think bro is good with money :/
- skyza14 dayswhy would you pay 120 000 dollars for a banana duct taped to a wall? you could buy bananas in a grocery store for 12 dollars
naturelover5912 daysExactly! What about this is "Art"????
qqchen042412 daysYou could buy it for one dollar
grayson12314 daysI wonder if this is possible with a green banana- grayson12314 daysBro why did you waste all your money just to eat it
sukuna14 daysI'm gonna start taping bananas on my wall and I will become a billionaire
herofromomori14 daysno, make it original and tape an apple. easy $100,000,000,000
whaleng14 daysI love bananas!
aarushcv14 daysSuper weird
