Duct-Taped Banana Artwork Sells for $6.2M in NYC

Maurizio Cattelan’s controversial artwork, Comedian—a banana duct-taped to a wall—has been sold for an astonishing $6.2 million at Sotheby’s in New York, far surpassing its initial pre-sale estimate of $1 million to $1.5 million.

The piece became the highlight of Sotheby’s The Now and Contemporary auction, with a fierce seven-minute bidding war. Justin Sun, a Chinese cryptocurrency entrepreneur and founder of the Tron blockchain network, secured the winning bid after outdueling six rivals. According to Sotheby’s, Sun, known for high-profile art acquisitions, plans to pay for the piece using cryptocurrency.

The artwork, originally unveiled in 2019, has gained global fame for its provocative simplicity and the cultural debate it has sparked about the definition of art. “This is not just an artwork,” Sun said in a statement. “It represents a cultural phenomenon that bridges the worlds of art, memes, and the cryptocurrency community.”

True to its viral legacy, Comedian comes with instructions on how to replace the banana when it inevitably rots. Over the years, the artwork has travelled internationally and encountered its fair share of drama. In 2023, a South Korean art student ate the banana on display at Seoul’s Leeum Museum of Art, only for it to be promptly replaced. Similarly, in 2019, a performance artist consumed the banana during Art Basel Miami after it sold for $120,000, with no significant repercussions.

Sun has announced plans to eat the banana himself, claiming the act is a way to honour its role in art history and popular culture. The fruit itself was originally purchased for $0.35, highlighting the stark contrast between its inherent value and its status as a cultural icon.

As one of the most unconventional pieces to grace the art market, Comedian continues to inspire debate, blurring the lines between satire, spectacle, and artistic innovation.