Art collector eats banana art-work he bought for Rs 52 crore in auction (WATCH)
Justin Sun, a cryptocurrency entrepreneur, ate the infamous $6.2 million banana artwork, 'Comedian,' by Maurizio Cattelan. He called the banana "iconic" and compared it to cryptocurrency, leaving attendees with bananas and duct tape as souvenirs.
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FollowJustin Sun, a Chinese cryptocurrency entrepreneur, has eaten the banana that made news previously when he paid $6.2 million (about Rs 52 crore) for an artwork that was nailed to a wall. In front of a group of reporters and influencers at a five-star hotel in Hong Kong on Friday, Sun ate the banana while referring to the work as "iconic" and drawing comparisons between cryptocurrencies and art.
"It’s much better than other bananas. It’s really quite good,” he said after eating the fruit. To mark this occasion, attendees left with their own bananas and duct tape as souvenirs — a cheeky nod to the artwork’s simplicity.
The artwork, titled Comedian, was created by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan and has triggered global conversations since its debut at Art Basel Miami Beach in 2019. The Comedian, who is well-known for his humorous observations on the art market, challenges the notion that the worth of an artwork is directly related to its cost.
In a recent Sotheby's auction, Sun won the sculpture after outbidding six rivals. He had already revealed his intention to eat the banana as part of the artwork's legacy.
According to a report in the New York Times, the banana was sold by Shah Alam, a 74-year-old fruit seller to the artist. Alam, working outside Sotheby's in the Upper East Side said he was not aware that a piece of fruit he sold for only 35 cents would end up fetching the monstrous amount.
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