 "Maurizio Cattelan's duct-taped banana artwork sold at US $6.2m at auction")
Have you ever thought of purchasing a banana worth USD 6.2 million? I’m sure not. But someone did.
A yellow banana taped to the wall was sold for over USD 6.2 million at an auction held in New York on Wednesday. This unique conceptual art piece called 'Comedian' is the brainchild of an Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan.
The 'Comedian' artwork, by Maurizio Cattelan, is simply a yellow banana stuck to the wall with a strip of silver duct tape exactly 160 centimetres from the floor.
Comedian is bought by a Crypto entrepreneur
The artwork, by Maurizio Cattelan, was bought by the founder of cryptocurrency platform TRON, Justin Sun. According to Artnet.com, he paid for the artwork in crypto and it is his responsibility to replace the banana as it rots.
The artwork originally debuted at Art Basel Miami Beach. People who attended the Art Basel Miami Beach fest wondered whether the single yellow piece of fruit affixed to a white wall with silver duct tape was a joke and raised cheeky questionable standards among art collectors. Even at one point, one artist took the banana off the wall and ate it.
The art piece garnered huge attention, so it had to be withdrawn from view. According to the gallery handling sales, the three editions were sold between USD 1,20,000 and USD 1,50,000. Now after four years, Justin Sun paid 40 times more than that price. Reportedly, Sun also purchased a certificate of authenticity that allows him to duct-tape a banana to a wall and can call it "Comedian".
The bidding for the art began at USD 8,00,000 and within minutes its price surged to over USD 4 million. At one point the auctioneer, Oliver Barker, joked, “Don't let it slip away. Don't miss this opportunity. These are words I've never thought I'd say: Five million dollars for a banana.”
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The bid closed at USD 5.2 million which does not include the USD 1 million auction house fee that Justin Sun paid.
Sun will also receive an authenticity certificate
Sun will receive a banana and a roll of duct tape along with an authenticity certificate and instructions on how to install the artwork, including how to replace the banana.
After making the purchase, the Sun made a statement that the artwork “represents a cultural phenomenon that bridges the worlds of art, memes, and the cryptocurrency community.” He also believes that the latest version of 'Comedian' won't last long.
“I believe this piece will inspire more thought and discussion in the future and will become a part of history,” he added.
What does Maurizio Cattelan say about his artwork?
Cattelan's previous art includes solid gold, fully functioning toilet America. While talking to the Art Newspaper, he said, Comedian “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,” Cattelan added.