Tag: Maurizio Cattelan

Banana artwork sells for $6.2 million – Hyperallergic

Tonight’s top bidder didn’t acquire a “part of history” — he bought a banana and a roll of tape. … Following auctioneer Oliver Barker’s nervous introduction (“Not quite sure what to expect here”), a rhythmic volley ensued between several bidders on the phones, a paddle in the room, and an ambitious online bidder. Six minutes later, the hammer finally plopped down at $5.2 million ($6,240,000, with the house’s fees) thanks to a phone bidder with Jen Hua, head of Sotheby’s China. The buyer, it was announced in an email blast shortly thereafter, was Chinese collector Justin Sun, owner of BitCurrent and founder of the crypto platform Tron. It’s not surprising considering that this was the only lot in the sale eligible for payment in cryptocurrencies and that two coins inspired by Cattelan’s work — the Solana-based “Banana Tape Wall” ($BTW) and a token called $BAN started by a Sotheby’s employee — are in thousands of digital “wallets.” That information, and the fact that Sun once paid nearly as much for a chance to have lunch with Warren Buffet, should tell you all you need to know about the bro energy surrounding this auction. Sun said in the email blast that he plans to “personally eat the banana” in the coming days as “part of this unique artistic experience.”