Italian visual artist Maurizio Cattelan's duct-taped Banana entitled "Comedian," is on display during a media preview at Sotheby's in New York, on 8 November, 2024. Photo: AFP / Ken Betancur
A banana fixed to a wall with duct tape artwork has been auctioned off for about US$6.2 million (NZ$10.5m), about four times the initial estimate, at Sotheby's in New York.
Seven bidders competed on Wednesday (New York time) to seize Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan's latest edition of his Comedian artwork, which was estimated to sell for up to US$1.5m.
Chinese founder of cryptocurrency platform TRON Justin Sun. Photo: Supplied / Sotheby's
That was already above and beyond the selling point of previous editions, which went for between US$120,000 and US$150,000, according to Perrotin gallery.
Chinese founder of cryptocurrency platform TRON Justin Sun acquired the piece by placing his bid over the phone, which ArtNet reported was paid for using cryptocurrency.
"This is not just an artwork; it represents a cultural phenomenon that bridges the worlds of art, memes, and the cryptocurrency community," Sun said in a statement.
"I believe this piece will inspire more thought and discussion in the future and will become a part of history.
"I am honored to be the proud owner of this iconic work and look forward to it sparking further inspiration and impact for art enthusiasts around the world.
"Additionally, in the coming days, I will personally eat the banana as part of this unique artistic experience, honouring its place in both art history and popular culture."
The Guardian previously reported the successful bidder would receive their own banana (not the ones exhibited), a roll of duct tape, a certificate of authenticity and instructions on how to install the work.
Seven bidders competed to seize Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan's latest edition of his 'Comedian' artwork on 20 November in New York. Photo: Supplied / Sotheby's
The piece first caused an uproar five years ago, when it debuted as an edition of three fruits at the Art Basel Miami Beach fair, attracting such a big crowd that it reportedly had to be removed from the site.
Comedian has toured the world - with various bananas being used to exhibit the work - and was gobbled up twice so far. Once, at the time of its launch at Art Basel by a performance artist, in an intervention which he called 'Hungry Artist', and in 2023 at Leeum Museum of Art by a student who claimed he was simply hungry.
Although Comedian has divided opinion, Auckland-based art dealer Charles Ninow believed it was meant to do just that - confronting viewers with questions about how we define and place value on art.
"The whole thing about this work is that is that it falls into a tradition or an understanding called the ready-made where it's all about the idea, the actual object doesn't mean anything.
"The other thing is it leaves you questioning, right? It doesn't tell you everything. And I think that's one of the important things about it. You have to ask your own questions."
Sotheby's Americas head of contemporary art David Galperin described it as "one of the most brilliant ideas in the history of conceptual art".
Some of Cattelan's other well-known works include America, consisting of a solid gold toilet, and La Nona Hora (The Ninth Hour), which depicts Pope John II lying on the ground after being struck by a meteorite.
In a press release prior to the auction, Sotheby's called Cattelan's works "revolutionary", saying they "shared in a spirit of iconoclastic pranksterism that provoked audiences to question the meaning of art".
"To me, Comedian was not a joke; it was a sincere commentary and a reflection on what we value," he told The Art Newspaper. "At art fairs, speed and business reign, so I saw it like this: if I had to be at a fair, I could sell a banana like others sell their paintings. I could play within the system, but with my rules.
"When art makes us feel something and puts us in a position of discomfort, that's when it has an impact."