Banana taped to history: 'Comedian' sells for €5.95 million
A banana taped to a wall, known as the artwork "Comedian" by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan, was sold on Wednesday at an auction in New York for $6.24 million (€5.95 million). According to CNBC, the new owner of the controversial piece is Chinese collector and cryptocurrency platform founder Justin Sun.
The auction house Sotheby's stated before the bidding that the displayed elements are not the same as those the artist presented in 2019 at the Art Basel fair in Miami Beach.
The original "Comedian" was created from a banana purchased at a local grocery store and taped to a wall with silver duct tape. Cattelan ate it in front of the audience, later explaining that it was a performance, not an act of vandalism.
The new buyer received a roll of duct tape, a banana, and a certificate of authenticity along with installation instructions. This is the third edition of "Comedian" – one edition remains in the hands of a private collector, and the other is in the collection of the Guggenheim Museum in New York. A Sotheby's spokesperson confirmed that a fresh fruit is used for each presentation of the artwork.
In a statement, Justin Sun emphasised that this is not just a work of art. According to him, Cattelan's work "represents a cultural phenomenon that bridges the worlds of art, memes, and the cryptocurrency community." He also announced that he intends to eat the banana purchased at the auction. "I believe this piece will inspire more thought and discussion in the future and will become a part of history," he added.
"Comedian," first exhibited four years ago, divided the art community. Some critics see it as inspired by conceptual works that question the value of art itself. As an example, they cite "Fountain" by Marcel Duchamp from 1917, a porcelain urinal exhibited as a work of art.
The auction started at $800,000 (€760,000), although the artwork was estimated at $1–1,5 million (€950,000–€1.4 million), reports Barron's.
