Sotheby’s: $6.2 million paid for a… banana on a wall – Watch the video

Art has nary limits, they say, but what happened astatine a Sotheby’s auction successful New York was unprecedented: a banana duct-taped to a partition was sold for $5.2 cardinal ($6.2 cardinal with fees).

Although the auction location initially estimated that Maurizio Cattelan’s artwork would fetch $1-1.5 cardinal astatine most, the last effect exceeded each expectations.

For the piece, which was 1 of 3 versions created by Cattelan successful 2019 titled Comedian, bidding started astatine $800,000.

As the Guardian describes, the auction, which included bids successful cryptocurrency, unfolded rapidly, with the last effect acold surpassing the archetypal estimate.

“I ne'er thought I’d say, ‘5 cardinal dollars for a banana,’” remarked auctioneer Oliver Barker.

The winning bid was placed done Sotheby’s bureau successful China connected behalf of cryptocurrency entrepreneur Justin Sun.

What Sun volition person is simply a banana, a rotation of duct tape, a certificate of authenticity, and elaborate instructions connected however to instal the artwork—including guidelines connected however to regenerate the banana if needed!

“This is not conscionable a enactment of art. It represents a civilization that bridges the worlds of art, memes, and cryptocurrency. I judge it is simply a portion that volition spark thought and treatment and go portion of history,” said Sun, the caller proprietor of the banana and duct tape.

He besides announced his volition to devour the banana “as a mode to grant its spot successful the past of creation and popular culture.”

This artwork gained important fame erstwhile show creator David Datuna ate its archetypal mentation during its 2019 debut and again successful May 2023 erstwhile a pupil successful South Korea consumed it during an accumulation successful Seoul.