Banana duct-taped to wall purchased at artwork public sale for $6.2m by crypto mogul who plans to eat it | EUROtoday

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A banana duct-taped to a wall has been purchased for $6.2m at public sale by a crypto mogul who has promised to eat his wildly costly new buy.

The artwork public sale passed off Wednesday evening at Sotheby’s New York, with the mogul, Justin Sun, pledging to “personally eat the banana.”

The viral art work initially garnered consideration in 2019 at Art Basel Miami. Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan, 64, is the person behind the piece, referred to as Comedian.

It was displayed on the Miami Art Festival, the place one artist took a chew of the banana and one customer vandalized the art work.

Comedian is a banana duct-taped to a wall exactly 160 centimeters above the ground and former editions offered for $120,000 and $150,000 in 2019, The Daily Beast famous.

Meanwhile, Sotheby’s estimated the newest version to be value between $1m and $1.5m. But as bidding received underway on Wednesday evening, the value quickly shot as much as greater than $5m.

Speaking to an public sale home staffer, auctioneer Oliver Barker, stated: “These are words I never thought I’d say. Five million for a banana. It’s your expensive banana, Jen.”

“Don’t let it slip away,” he added jokingly.

The value ultimately ended up at greater than $6.2m, with Sun quickly figuring out himself because the winner.

“I’m thrilled to announce that I’ve bought the banana!” he wrote Wednesday evening on X. “I am Justin Sun, and I’m excited to share that I have successfully acquired Maurizio Cattelan’s iconic work, Comedian for $6.2 million.”

“This is not just an artwork; it represents a cultural phenomenon that bridges the worlds of art, memes, and the cryptocurrency community,” he added. “I believe this piece will inspire more thought and discussion in the future and will become a part of history.”

The profitable bid was positioned by Jen Hua from Sotheby’s China workplace on behalf of Sun, who will obtain a certificates of authenticity in addition to directions detailing learn how to set up the art work and learn how to substitute the banana, in line with The Guardian.

“I am honored to be the proud owner of the banana and look forward to it sparking further inspiration and impact for art enthusiasts around the world,” Sun stated. “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. Stay tuned!”

Cattelan’s earlier work features a strong gold rest room referred to as America. The artist has stated that Comedian “was a sincere commentary and a reflection on what we value.”

“At art fairs, speed and business reign, so I saw it like this: if I had to be at a fair, I could sell a banana like others sell their paintings. I could play within the system, but with my rules,” he advised The Art Newspaper.