This morning Beijing time, at Sotheby's New York's "NOW Contemporary Art Evening Auction", Maurizio Cattelan's work (Comedian) created with bananas and tape (estimated at US$1,000,000 - 1,500,000) was sold for US$5.2 million after 32 bids on site, and was sold for US$6.24 million, equivalent to RMB 45.18 million, exceeding the low estimate by 420%.
This work was bid for by telephone clients and online buyers, and was finally won by the No. 17 card held by Hua Zhen, Vice Chairman of Sotheby's Auction Asia.
What kind of work is this banana work? The work (Comedian) by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan is a contemporary artwork that has sparked widespread controversy and heated discussion.
This work debuted at the 2019 Art Basel Miami Beach, taking an extremely simple form: a real banana affixed to a white wall with a piece of silver duct tape. This seemingly random combination was priced at $150,000 and was quickly purchased by collectors, causing a strong reaction both within and outside the art world.
The title of the work 'Comedian' hints at the artist's intention: to challenge the audience's traditional understanding of art in a humorous and absurd way. Through an ordinary banana, Cattelan explores the value of art, the nature of consumerism, and the absurdity of the art market.
(Comedian) A total of 3 versions, one of which is collected by the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York. Each 'work' comes with a corresponding certificate of authenticity, allowing collectors to replace the banana at home according to their preferences.
From November 20, 2021, to February 20, 2022, the UCCA Center for Contemporary Art in Beijing presented the first solo exhibition in China of this Italian national treasure artist Maurizio Cattelan titled 'Maurizio Cattelan: The Last Judgment,' which featured this work.
As everyone speculated that the buyer of the work was likely a Chinese person, shortly after the auction ended, Justin Sun, founder of TRON, posted a message on X, admitting that he was the buyer of Cattelan's banana, and announced that he would eat the banana in a few days!
In the post, Justin Sun stated:
I am pleased to announce that I have purchased the banana!!! I am Justin Sun, and I am excited to share that I successfully acquired Maurizio Cattelan's iconic work (Comedian) for $6.2 million. This is not just a work of art; it represents a cultural phenomenon that connects the art world, memes, and the cryptocurrency community. I believe this work will inspire more thoughts and discussions in the future and become a part of history. I am honored to be the proud owner of this banana and look forward to it bringing more inspiration and impact to art lovers around the world.
Additionally, in the coming days, I will personally eat the banana as part of this unique artistic experience to commemorate its place in art history and popular culture. Stay tuned!
Yes, in this post, Justin Sun not only tagged Sotheby's but also tagged SpaceX, and the first to join the discussion and respond to this trending topic was Beeple. He quickly created a piece and posted it on X. Subsequently, Sotheby's official X also posted to confirm Justin Sun's identity as the buyer.
In 2021, Beeple's NFT purely digital artwork (Everydays: The First 5000 Days) sold for $69.346 million (approximately 450 million RMB), setting the world auction record for NFT works. Justin Sun, a millennial, was the previous buyer of this work, having bid $60 million at the time.
Justin Sun has previously donated the expensive artworks he purchased at auction to the APENFT Foundation, which supports the growth of artists in the crypto world, blockchainizing them. This includes works by top artists such as Picasso, Andy Warhol, Alberto Giacometti, and emerging crypto artists like Beeple, Pak, FEWOCiOUS, and Mitchell F. Chan.
