A banana duct-taped to a wall just sold for a whopping $6.2 million. Yes, you read that right. And no, this isn’t some elaborate prank. It’s the art world, baby, where the line between genius and absurdity is thinner than a banana peel.
Maurizio Cattelan’s “Comedian” has been turning heads and sparking debate since it first graced the walls of Art Basel in Miami back in 2019. This seemingly simple artwork – a single banana bought for a measly $0.35 and stuck to a wall with duct tape – has become a viral sensation, a meme-worthy masterpiece, and a commentary on the very nature of art itself.
At Sotheby’s auction in New York, “Comedian” went from an $800,000 starting price to a jaw-dropping $5.2 million (plus a $1 million buyer’s premium) in a matter of minutes. It’s the latest chapter in the banana’s bizarre journey, which began with its debut at Art Basel, where three editions sold for between $120,000 and $150,000.
What happens when the banana rots or you decide to eat it? Well, just replace it along with the duct-tape – that’s what you’ve paid $6.2 million for…
The banana has already been eaten… twice! In 2019, a performance artist pulled it off the wall and devoured it in front of a stunned crowd. The same thing happened again in South Korea in 2023. But like a phoenix rising from the ashes (or a banana peel), “Comedian” simply had its main ingredient replaced and continued its reign of absurdity.
Who Bought the Banana?
The lucky (or perhaps slightly eccentric) buyer this time around is Justin Sun, a Chinese cryptocurrency entrepreneur and founder of the Tron blockchain network. He reportedly paid for the banana in crypto, because, well, why not?
“This is not just an artwork,” Sun declared in a statement to Sotheby’s. “It represents a cultural phenomenon that bridges the worlds of art, memes, and the cryptocurrency community.”
Whether you see “Comedian” as a stroke of genius or a ridiculous stunt, there’s no denying it’s officially a part of art history, a testament to the enduring power of absurdity and the ever-evolving definition of art.
