Crypto investor pays $6 million for a banana — and plans to eat it

What you buy when you buy Cattelan’s ‘Comedian’ is not the banana itself, but a certificate of authenticity that grants the owner the permission and authority to reproduce this banana and duct tape on their wall as an original artwork by Maurizio Cattelan,

David Galperin, Sotheby’s head of contemporary art, told the Associated Press

Comedian is a conceptual artwork, and the actual physical materials are replaced with every installation."

A spokesperson for the auction house said in an email

To me, 'Comedian' was not a joke; it was a sincere commentary and a reflection on what we value. At art fairs, speed and business reign, so I saw it like this: If I had to be at a fair, I could sell a banana like others sell their paintings. I could play within the system, but with my rules."

In a 2021 interview with The Art Newspaper, Cattelan said

If at its core, 'Comedian' questions the very notion of the value of art, then putting the work at auction this November will be the ultimate realization of its essential conceptual idea — the public will finally have a say in deciding its true value,

the auction house's head of contemporary art for the Americas, David Galperin, said in a statement

David Datunaperformance artist

I think he is a genius. Art is about comedy, about fun, about tragedy, about emotions. He played this very well. I love the banana of Andy Warhol, but I think Cattelan has put the banana on a different level."

In a 2019 interview with The Guardian following the act, Datuna was critical of the work's being sold for so much money, but said of Cattelan

He has persistently disrupted the art world's status quo in meaningful, irreverent, and often controversial ways,

Sotheby's said in the description

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."

However, he added

Don’t let it slip away, ... These are words I never thought I’d say: Five million dollars for a banana."

auctioneer Oliver Barker was quoted as saying to keep the mood light, before adding with a grin

Justin Suncryptocurrency entrepreneur

This is not just an artwork,

insisted the winning bidder, Chinese-born cryptocurrency entrepreneur Justin Sun

I believe this piece will inspire more thought and discussion in the future and will become a part of history,

he said

I am honored to be the proud owner of the banana and look forward to it sparking further inspiration and impact for art enthusiasts around the world,

Sun said

I’m thrilled to announce that I’ve bought the banana!” ... I am Justin Sun, and I’m excited to share that I have successfully acquired Maurizio Cattelan’s iconic work, Comedian for $6.2 million.”

he wrote Wednesday night on X

It's an artwork that's a perfect representation of the times that we're living in, which celebrates spectacle,

said adviser Rob Teeters a few hours before the sale

It’s slipping through the auction room.”

Bidding started at $800,000 and within minutes shot up to $2 million, then $3 million, then $4 million, as the auctioneer joked

There is no better forum to adjudicate the value of art and a single object than the platform of auction."

As Galperin put it

Imagine the change of perception created by the way it was received by the audience,

Perrotin said

The important thing to know about Maurizio is that his jokes are serious and his serious work is funny, ... there's something very deep in what Maurizio does, so the veneer of it might look like a banana, but there’s something else always at the core of what he’s saying."

Dodie Kazanjian, an editor for Vogue, said in the video, adding

This is not just an artwork. It represents a cultural phenomenon that bridges the worlds of art, memes, and the cryptocurrency community,

Sun was quoted as saying in the Sotheby's statement

I had high hopes, but reality exceeded my expectations. The unforeseen controversy and popularity surrounding Comedian became an integral part of the artwork’s narrative, emphasising the notable role spectators play in shaping it.”

Of the response to Comedian overall Cattelan said last year

I am flattered to some extent. The action reminds me of the Eucharistic or even cannibalistic rituals where people consume the body and blood of their saviour or enemy, as if by ingesting it, they could gain some of their power. There is a certain allure to the concept of “eating” someone’s work as if it could somehow release the creative force that inspired it.”

On people eating his artwork, Cattelan told this masthead