Crypto entrepreneur Justin Sun made headlines after purchasing Maurizio Cattelan’s “Comedian”, an artwork consisting of a banana duct-taped to a wall, for $6.2 million. However, his acquisition didn’t last long, as Sun immediately consumed the banana.
This marks the third time that someone has publicly eaten this famous conceptual piece, which first debuted in 2019.
The artwork, a simple banana affixed to a wall with duct tape, was originally met with confusion, but has since become a viral sensation. Sun’s act of eating the banana took place just days after he won the piece at a Sotheby’s art auction in New York.
Sun, who founded the Tron blockchain in 2017, was filmed eating the artwork during a press conference in Hong Kong on November 29, 2024.
To commemorate the moment, he shared a playful remark, describing the taste of the banana with a nod to its unique history.
“To be honest, for a banana with such a back story, 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,” he wrote.
While the auction winner is not actually buying the banana itself, but rather a set of materials to replicate the artwork, Sotheby’s clarified that the buyer receives a roll of duct tape, a banana, a certificate of authenticity, and installation instructions.
Arushi Kapoor, founder and art advisor at The Agency Art House, noted that Sun’s purchase is an example of how he is “bridging the gap between the crypto world and the traditional art scene,” which has often been difficult for non-traditional collectors to access.
Justin Sun Eating the Banana
Kapoor emphasized that more tech enthusiasts entering the art space fosters inclusivity and expands participation in the art world.
Kapoor further observed that Sun seems to fully grasp the conceptual essence of the work, particularly its commentary on marketing and consumerism in modern society.
She added that there are rumors that Sun has offered to buy 100,000 bananas from the original vendor, who sold them for only a few cents, furthering the piece’s discussion on consumerism and connecting it back to the vendor who originally sold the fruit.
It remains uncertain whether Sun will continue this practice of consuming the bananas or if he will alter the work’s meaning by choosing not to replace the banana he ate.
Sotheby’s had originally estimated that the artwork would sell for between $1 million and $1.5 million, and they praised it as “the only piece of art from the 21st century that has provoked scandal, sparked imagination, and upended the very definition of contemporary art.”
Despite its small size—measuring only 20 cm by 20 cm by 5 cm—the head of Sotheby’s contemporary art for the Americas, David Galperin, described it as one of “the most influential and radical artworks of the last century.”
When Cattelan’s “Comedian” was first revealed at Art Basel Miami in 2019, it generated confusion, amusement, and debate.
However, after selling for $120,000, the piece gained global attention and sparked widespread discussions about the nature and value of art.
During its installation at Perrotin’s booth in December 2019, the crowds were so overwhelming that the artwork had to be removed before the event concluded. All three editions of the artwork were sold during the fair.
Sotheby’s reflected on the controversy surrounding the piece, noting that it had “widely venerated, and hotly contested – and eaten not only once, but twice,” making headlines across the world.
