Entrepreneur buys banana worth $6.2 million and plans to eat it, what's behind this frenzy?

Like an NFT (Non-Fungible Token), which is a unique digital asset recorded on the blockchain and is used as a token of ownership, this artwork’s value also lies in its authenticity. While the banana will rot without doubt, it is the certificate of ownership that allows Sun to recreate it that gives it worth.

As per reports, the bidding for the art piece started at $800,000 and went way beyond Sotheby’s estimate of $1.5 million.

Interestingly enough, the original banana on the artwork was from a local supermarket in Florida, according to the reports.

Sun to eat the banana!

Interestingly, Sun will eventually eat the banana in the coming days, as a part of a ‘unique artistic experience’.

The crypto enthusiast placed the winning bid for Comedian over the phone and paid in cryptocurrency. Apparently, it will be the buyer’s responsibility to replace the banana, according to Artnet.com.

Sun would eat the banana as the last two spectators did in other galleries while the art piece was touring around the world, as per a report by Reuters.

Cattelan’s artwork

According to Sotheby’s, no other artwork has ever provoked this level of scandal and conversation in the 21st century like Comedian.

Cattelan is known for spirited and audacious artworks, including his America (a golden toilet) and La Nona Ora (a sculpture of the pope struck down by a meteorite).

To him, Comedian is not for mockery, it is a symbol of what we value.

"To me, Comedian was not a joke; it was a sincere commentary and a reflection on what we value. 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”, The Art Newspaper quoted Maurizio Cattelan.