- Man, modern art is way too deep for us.
Groceries have gotten very expensive over the past couple of years. From milk to vegetables and fruits, everything costs way more than it used to.
Even then, paying more than $6 million for a banana is ridiculous.
Yet, that’s what crypto investor Justin Sun just did. He recently forked out an astronomical sum of money for what is essentially a single banana.
This is no ordinary banana, however — you can still buy a bunch of those for a bit over a dollar. What Sun bought is a controversial art piece by the Italian artist and satirist Maurizio Cattelan.
Dubbed Comedian, the art piece consists of a banana duct-taped to a wall. However, since both bananas and duct tape expire eventually, Sun has acquired a license to recreate Cattelan’s installation and still claim it’s an original piece by the artist.
For his part, though, Sun has great plans for the banana he physically bought. He intends to eat it.
A Controversial Fruit
At this point, you might feel a bit confused about this whole story, and we can’t blame you. Let’s go all the way back to the beginning to clear things up.
Art Basel is a series of annual art fairs organized in Switzerland, the U.S., China, and France. In 2019, the Art Basel Miami Beach event featured an artwork that raised eyebrows across the globe.
The piece in question was a work titled Comedian by Maurizio Cattelan. It’s one bizarre piece, consisting of a single banana duct-taped directly to the gallery wall.
Neither the art world nor the general public could make heads or tails of the art installation. They couldn’t decide if it was a prime example of low-effort modern “art,” a profound commentary on the state of the global art scene, or Cattelan’s bizarre prank.
As people puzzled over the piece, another artist at the event plucked the banana off the wall and ate it. That was fine, though, as the fruit was always meant to be replaceable — another banana quickly took its place.
The outlandish work became so popular that it had to be removed from the Art Basel event due to the enormous crowds it attracted.
The Priciest of Snacks
Considering that it’s just a banana, you might think nobody would ever purchase Comedian. That’s where you’d be wrong.
In fact, the artwork has been sold multiple times. It originally went for $120,000 at the 2019 Art Basel show.
Its value soon increased to $150,000. And then to a million.
That was the estimated value of Comedian when it went up for auction at Sotheby’s on November 20. The work was expected to fetch between $1-$1.5 million.
When the day of the auction finally came, however, that estimate soon flew out the window. Sun and five other bidders competed for Comedian until Sun finally won — and paid $6.2 million for the banana.
“I am honored to be the proud owner of this iconic work and look forward to it sparking further inspiration and impact for art enthusiasts around the world,” Sun wrote on X (the platform formerly known as Twitter).
He also revealed what he intends to do with his investment.
“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,” he added.
The Idea of a Banana
Despite consuming the controversial fruit, Sun hasn’t wasted his money. That’s because he didn’t really buy the physical banana and duct tape displayed at the auction.
Unless you encase it in resin or something, it’d be difficult to make a lasting work of art out of a banana. It would turn black and mushy within a number of days, after all.
No, what Sun actually purchased is the license to recreate Cattelan’s work with any banana and a piece of duct tape. He received instruction on how to position the two components, alongside an official signed certificate vouching that the displayed piece is a Cattelan original.
So, in a sense, Sun could reinstall and eat Comedian over and over again because the physical work itself doesn’t necessarily exist. What Cattelan created and Sun bought is the basic concept of a banana taped to a wall in a specific position.
Sure, you could tape a banana to your own wall in a similar way. But it just won’t be the same piece without the paper certificate.
We’re sure that’s very profound in a way we’re not equipped to fully understand. That, or modern art is just way too weird for us.