What the Hell Happened: A Very Pricey Snack

6.2 million dollars for an ordinary banana duct taped to a wall sounds like a pretty rotten joke. And yet, this is what entrepreneur Justin Sun paid for the quirky piece of art at a Sotheby’s auction on Nov. 20. The piece, aptly titled “Comedian” was created by Maurizio Cattelan and made its first appearance in 2019 at Miami’s Art Basel.

Now, after the work’s dramatic rise in bidding price (another iteration of the piece once sold for $120,000), both art critics and the general public alike are trying to make sense of it all. A simple banana has suddenly become the star of contemporary art. But it isn't truly the artwork that is being sold, it’s the conversation.

In an X post on Nov. 20, Sun wrote, “This is not just an artwork; it represents a cultural phenomenon that bridges the worlds of art, memes, and the cryptocurrency community.”

Sun later ate that same banana in Hong Kong in front of a number of reporters. Cattelan’s banana has been the center of enormous media attention since its inception.

Experimental and satiric creations are nothing new to the art world. Art itself has long been used to spark dialogue on what can and cannot be art. Offering a way to defy rigid categories, artists like Marcel Duchamp and his readymade sculpture “Fountain” were at the peak of conversation in 1917. The playful work of Jeff Koons has also divided the art world. What is interesting about “Comedian” is not just the sheer absurdity of the piece or the ridiculously steep price tag, but rather the larger cultural trend it represents. In its efforts to represent a critique of consumer culture, it has curiously, at the same time, upheld it.

While the banana has become one of the world’s most expensive fruits through Cattelan’s artistic vision and authority, the 74-year-old-immigrant street cart vendor who originally sold it has had a different experience.

In an interview with the New York Times Sarah Maslin Nir, the vendor Shah Alam remarked on the tremendous price of the banana. In a rather interesting twist, Sun posted on X that he decided to purchase 100,000 more bananas from Alam’s stand.

One thing is for certain: Catellan’s banana is provocative. And perhaps there is nothing the public likes more than making something viral that has no reason to be — think of the viral egg that broke the world record for most Instagram likes, beating Kylie Jenner’s record. Somehow, this banana has managed to generate commentary on not just what can or cannot be considered art, but on consumerism, elitism and anti-elitism, economic division, and a culture obsessed with absurdity.

—Staff writer Caroline J. Rubin can be reached at caroline.rubin@thecrimson.com.