No conceptual artwork sparked more controversy in recent years than the lone banana duct-taped to a wall, known as Comedian. This polarizing artwork by Maurizio Cattelan sparked a heated debate about the state of modern art – and someone just paid $6.2 million to own it!
Comedian went viral in 2019 when the Italian conceptional artist Maurizio Cattelan first shared it with the world. Some considered it a work of genius, while others questioned if it should even be called art, but the heated debate only upped its value, and Cattelan eventually sold two editions of this artwork for $120,000 apiece.
Five years later, one of the original owners decided to sell their banana, putting it for an auction at Sotheby’s in New York. It was expected to fetch $1 million but managed to exceed everyone’s wildest expectations, selling for $6.2 million after the Chinese crypto millionaire Justin Sun outbid six rivals to get his hands on this iconic artwork.
Sun was confirmed as the new owner of Comedian by Sotheby’s and later addressed the sale on social media. If you’re wondering what the future holds for the banana that broke the internet, Sun said he’s planning to eat it “as part of this unique artistic experience, honoring its place in both art history and popular culture.”
