It’s nothing more than a banana stuck to a wall, but the work of Italian conceptual artist Maurizio Cattelan caused another sensation in the New York art market this Wednesday night: It was bought for 6.2 million dollars (about 5.8 million euros) by a Chinese-American businessman.
At Sotheby’s auction house, seven buyers or their representatives competed to acquire the piece titled “Comedian,” in Spanish. a banana hanging from a wall with the help of a large piece of adhesive tape silver
After several minutes, the price rose from 800,000 dollars to 5.2 million – or 6.2 million adding commissions –when the hammer sounded.
Shortly after, Justin Sun, founder of the Tron cryptocurrency platform, claimed to be the buyer in a Sotheby’s statement.
«A cultural phenomenon»
«This is not just art. “It represents a cultural phenomenon that creates bridges between the worlds of art, memes and the cryptocurrency community,” said the businessman from Xining (China).
I promisedor “personally eat the banana as part of this unique artistic experience”honoring his place in both art history and popular culture.
The 34-year-old executive had already been noted for acquiring a sculpture by Alberto Giacometti, “The Nose,” in 2021 for $78.4 million.
The famous banana promised to be one of the stars of New York’s fall auction week.
Questioning art and its value
According to his description, the work of the iconoclast and provocateur Cattelan, of which there are three copies, questions the notion of art and its value. It has caused a lot of talk since its first exhibition in 2019 in Miami, where another artist ate it to denounce its pricewhich was then $120,000.
The remaining copy was donated to the Guggenheim Museum in New York.
Sotheby’s on Wednesday had set its estimate for the piece at between $1 million and $1.5 million. Conditions of sale include a certificate of authenticity and instructions on how to replenish the fruit.
“Comedian” surpassed in value another notable work at auction, “Oval Office (Studio)” by American Pop Art icon Roy Lichtenstein, which reached $4.2 million.
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