We’ve all heard about edible art, but a banana stuck to a wall isn’t what would normally cross your mind when you think of that. Crypto entrepreneur Justin Sun bought the “Comedian” by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan, composed of a banana stuck to a wall by duct tape, for $6.2 million.
He stuck to his promise and ate the banana in front of dozens of journalists and influencers.
The auction
The conceptual piece was sold at Sotheby’s auction in New York last week. Sun was among seven bidders for Cattelan’s work. After the first 10 seconds of winning the bid, Sun said he felt “disbelief” and then realized that “this could become something big.”
The decision to eat the banana
Sun later decided to eat the banana after winning the bid. “Eating it at a press conference can also become a part of the artwork’s history,” he said on Friday, wanting to be a “part of this unique artistic experience.”
Caught in action
Sun chose one of Hong Kong’s most expensive hotels for journalists and influencers to witness him eating the $6.2 million banana. He spoke about how the conceptual piece was “iconic” and drew parallels between conceptual art and cryptocurrency.
“It’s much better than other bananas,” Sun said after taking his first bite. “It’s really quite good,” he continued.
The Comedian’s debut
The debut of Cattelan’s conceptual piece was at the 2019 Art Basel show in Miami Beach. It sparked controversy and caused an uproar of questions about whether the work should qualify as art or not, and this was Cattelan’s aim all along.
The “Comedian” vs. NFTs
Sun compared the “Comedian” to NFT art and decentralized blockchain technology in that “Most of its objects and ideas exist as (intellectual property) and on the internet, as opposed to something physical,” Sun explained on Friday to those who were in the conference.
Sun was accused of fraud
The 34-year-old crypto entrepreneur and founder of the crypto project Tron was accused of fraud and securities law violation in relation to Tron by the US Securities and Exchange Commission. Sun has rejected the accusations, and the case is still ongoing.
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Not the first time the banana has been eaten
Cattelan has instructed the banana to be replaced whenever it rots during its installation. Before Sun, a South Korean art student ate the banana when the installation went on display at Seoul’s Leeum Museum of Art in 2023.
Sun’s pledge
Sun promised on Friday that he would purchase 100,000 more bananas from the vendor who sold the original. The pledge had NYC fruit seller Shah Alam, 74, panicking, as it is almost impossible to outsource that many bananas, and even if it were, it wouldn’t be profitable for him.
The original price of the banana
The banana cost Cattelan 35 cents as he bought it from Alam’s cart outside Sotheby’s auction house in New York. He was distraught when Alam learned how much money was spent on the banana when it went under the hammer in the auction.
Alam explains how it’s non-profitable
Alam makes $12 an hour for his 12-hour days. Additionally, he doesn’t own the stand; Mohammad R. Islam, 53, does. Thus, any profit Alam makes goes to Islam. Ever since people learned of his news, a GoFundMe has been set up for Alam, which has raised more than $6,000 so far.
