December 6, 2024/Midnight
Erie, Pa.-– Created by conceptual artist Maurizio Cattelan, Comedian is a banana affixed to a white wall with a piece of silver duct tape. The banana is arguably the most expensive fruit in history, having fetched a groundbreaking price of $6.2 million.
On Nov. 20, the conceptual artwork Comedian was purchased by Justin Sun, a crypto entrepreneur and avid art collector from Hong Kong, during an auction at Sotheby’s in New York City.
The banana is part of Cattelan’s 2019 conceptual artwork Comedian, which is intended to be duct–taped to the wall. Starting at $800,000, the fast–paced auction ended when Sun placed the winning bid, outbidding six other buyers to become the new owner of the piece.
As the new owner, Sun will receive a certificate of authenticity and installation instructions from the artist, which include guidance on replacing the banana whenever it rots. It’s important to note that Sun doesn’t just own the original Comedian; he also owns the conceptual idea behind the piece. This allows Sun to duct–tape any banana to a white wall and call it Comedian.
In a statement, Sun said that the artwork “represents a cultural phenomenon that bridges the worlds of art, memes, and the cryptocurrency community.” He further stated that he would eat the banana as part of “a unique artistic experience, honoring its place in both art history and popular culture.”
On Nov. 29, Sun ate the banana in a video posted on X (formerly Twitter). “To be honest, for a banana with such a backstory, the taste is naturally different from an ordinary one. I could discern a hint of what Big Mike bananas from 100 years ago might have tasted like,” Sun said.
(Big Mike is a common translation of the Gros Michel banana variety.) Additionally, Sun announced that he would buy 100,000 bananas and distribute them for free as a gesture of thanks to Shah Alam, the Bangladeshi fruit stand employee who originally sold the banana for just 35 cents apiece or four for a dollar.
According to The New York Times, Alam said that the profit on bananas is relatively low, and Sun’s proposal could generate a sum of $6,000. Alam also noted that he is just an employee, not the owner of the fruit stall. As reported by the paper, Alam works a 12–hour shift each day with a salary of $12 per hour. This rate allows him to afford a shared basement apartment in the Bronx. The 74–year–old man was stunned to learn the price of the artwork.
Comedian is a controversial art piece created by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan. It first debuted in 2019 at Art Basel Miami Beach and quickly gained attention, with viewers questioning whether it was a prank or a cheeky commentary on the absurd standards of art collectors. However, three editions of Comedian have been sold for between $120,000 and $150,000, according to the gallery handling sales at the time.
