Sotheby’s auctioned the artwork by Maurizio Cattelan on Wednesday; Piece sold to Justin Sun, founder of cryptocurrency platform Tron, who plans to eat it
When a banana duct-taped to a wall sold for $120,000 in 2019, social media uproar and an age-old debate about the meaning of art ensued.
But artist Maurizio Cattelan’s viral creation, titled “Comedian,” has proven a sound investment for one collector: One of the artwork’s three “editions” smashed estimates to sell for $6.24 million at a Sotheby’s auction in New York on Wednesday.
The auction house had estimated the work to go for between $1 million to $1.5 million; bidding began at $800,000.
During the sale, auctioneer Oliver Barker described the work as “iconic” and “disruptive,” while joking that selling a banana at auction were “words I never thought I’d say.”
Shortly after the sale, Sotheby’s revealed that Justin Sun, a Chinese collector and founder of a cryptocurrency platform had acquired the work.
“This is not just an artwork,” Sun said in the press release. “It represents a cultural phenomenon that bridges the worlds of art, memes, and the cryptocurrency community. I believe this piece will inspire more thought and discussion in the future and will become a part of history.”
www.cnn.com/style/duct-taped-banana-maurizio-cattelan-auction-hnk-intl/index.html
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