Famous duct-taped banana sells for €5.8 million at art auction

A piece of conceptual art consisting of a simple banana, duct-taped to a wall, was sold for $6.2 million (€5.8 million) at an auction in New York, with the winning bid coming from a prominent cryptocurrency entrepreneur.

“Comedian” by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan was a phenomenon when it debuted in 2019 at Art Basel Miami Beach, as festivalgoers tried to make out whether the single yellow piece of fruit fixed to a white wall with silver duct tape was a joke or cheeky commentary on questionable standards among art collectors.

The visual artist, known for his hyperrealistic sculptures and satirical approach to art, has explained, quite seriously, that it is “a sincere commentary and a reflection on what we value.”

At one point, another artist took the banana off the wall and ate it.

The piece attracted so much attention that it had to be withdrawn from view. But three editions sold for between $120,000 and $150,000, according to the gallery handling sales at the time.

Five years later, Justin Sun, founder of cryptocurrency platform TRON, has now paid more than 40 times that higher price point at the Sotheby’s auction. Or, more accurately, Sun purchased a certificate of authenticity that gives him the authority to duct-tape a banana to a wall and call it “Comedian.”

The piece attracted heavy attention at the busy auction at Sotheby's, with attendees in the crowded room holding up phones to take photos as two handlers wearing white gloves stood at both sides of the banana.

Bidding started at $800,000 and within minutes shot up to $2 million, then $3 million, then $4 million, and higher, as the auctioneer, Oliver Barker, joked “Don't let it slip away.”

“Don’t miss this opportunity," Barker said. “These are words I've never thought I'd say: Five million dollars for a banana.”

The final hammer price announced in the room was $5.2 million, which didn't include the about $1 million in auction house fees, paid by the buyer.

In a statement, Sun said the piece “represents a cultural phenomenon that bridges the worlds of art, memes, and the cryptocurrency community.” But he said the latest version of “Comedian" won't last long. 

“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,” Sun said.

Sotheby’s calls Cattelan “among Contemporary Art’s most brilliant provocateurs.”

“He has persistently disrupted the art world’s status quo in meaningful, irreverent, and often controversial ways,” the auction house said in a description of “Comedian.”

David Galperin, Sotheby’s head of contemporary art in the Americas, has described the artwork as “a defiant work of pure genius."