A piece of conceptual art featuring a simple banana duct-taped to a wall was sold for $6.2 million at a New York auction on Wednesday. The buyer was a well-known cryptocurrency entrepreneur. The artwork, titled “Comedian,” was created by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan and first gained attention in 2019 at Art Basel Miami Beach. The display, which featured a single yellow bartwork sellsanana attached to a white wall with silver duct tape, sparked debates about whether it was a joke or a commentary on the questionable tastes of art collectors. At one point, another artist even took the banana off the wall and ate it.
The work became so famous that it had to be taken down from view. However, three editions of the piece were sold for between $120,000 and $150,000 at the time. Five years later, Justin Sun, the founder of the cryptocurrency platform TRON, purchased a certificate of authenticity for the piece at the Sotheby’s auction, paying more than 40 times the previous higher price. This certificate grants Sun the right to duct-tape a banana to a wall and officially call it “Comedian.”
The artwork drew significant attention at the bustling Sotheby’s auction, with people in the crowded room snapping photos on their phones. Two attendants, dressed in white gloves, stood on either side of the banana as it was showcased.
The bidding began at $800,000 and quickly escalated to $2 million, then $3 million, and eventually $4 million. As the prices soared, the auctioneer, Oliver Barker, humorously warned, “Don’t let it slip away.”
“Don’t miss this opportunity,” Barker remarked. “These are words I never thought I’d say: Five million dollars for a banana.”
The final price for the artwork was $5.2 million, not including roughly $1 million in auction fees, which were covered by the buyer.
In a statement, Justin Sun explained that the piece “represents a cultural phenomenon that connects the worlds of art, memes, and cryptocurrency.” However, he also noted that this version of “Comedian” won’t be around for long.
In a statement, Justin Sun announced that he would personally eat the banana in the coming days as part of the “unique artistic experience,” paying tribute to its significance in both art history and popular culture.
Sotheby’s described Maurizio Cattelan as “one of Contemporary Art’s most brilliant provocateurs,” noting how he has consistently challenged the art world’s norms in bold, irreverent, and often controversial ways.
The auction took place just a day after a painting by Belgian surrealist René Magritte set a new record for the artist, selling for $121.2 million at a separate auction. “The Empire of Light,” which depicts a strange nighttime street scene beneath a pale blue daytime sky, was sold as part of Christie’s auction of interior designer Mica Ertegun’s collection, following her passing last year at 97.
This sale places Magritte among the select group of artists whose works have fetched over $100 million at auction, a list that includes figures like Leonardo da Vinci, Pablo Picasso, and Andy Warhol, according to the market analyst firm Artprice.
“The Empire of Light,” painted by René Magritte in 1954, was one of 17 versions of the same scene created by the artist in oil. Marc Porter, chairman of Christie’s Americas, referred to the sale as “a historic moment in our saleroom.”
The final price of $121.2 million included the auction house’s fees. The buyer, who placed a telephone bid, chose to remain anonymous.