Justin Sun bought a banana for $6.2m at Sotheby’s and plans to eat it
Tron founder Justin Sun bought the famed banana duct-taped to the wall sculpture for $6.2 million at Sotheby’s after six minutes of bidding. He says he will ‘personally eat the banana.’
On Nov. 21, Justin Sun posted about his recent Sotheby’s purchase, Maurizio Cattelan’s work of art “Comedian” which is simply a lone banana taped to a wall using a strip of duct-tape.
“This is not just an artwork; it represents a cultural phenomenon that bridges the worlds of art, memes, and the cryptocurrency community,” Sun wrote on his X post.
The TRON(TRX) creator also revealed that he plans to “eat the banana as part of this unique artistic experience, honoring its place in both art history and popular culture.”
Upon purchasing the sculpture, Sun received a certificate of authenticity that gives him the right to showcase the piece as an official artwork, according to Bloomberg report. In addition, Sotheby’s also gave Sun a starter kit for the sculpture, consisting of a banana, a roll of duct tape and a detailed instruction manual on how the piece should be presented.
Sun hopes that the piece can inspire further discussion and “will become a part of history” as it sparks inspiration and impact for art enthusiasts across the globe.
The sculpture first debuted in 2019 at the Art Basel Miami Beach. It was showcased in a booth at the Galerie Perrotin.
Despite its simplicity, the artwork drew in a large crowd of onlookers. It did not take long for Cattelan’s banana to turn into a world-famous meme. It was featured on the cover of the New York Post titled “Bananas!” and has been replicated as various forms of merchandise.
Before Sun, there have also been other cases when the famous banana was eaten. In April last year, a South Korean student reportedly ate the banana duct-taped to the wall when it was on display at Seoul’s Leeum Museum of Art. The banana was later replaced and the museum did not press charges against the student.
The first time the banana was eaten occurred in 2019, when New York-based performance artist David Datuna took the banana off the wall and consumed it when it was still displayed at the Galerie Perrotin.
