- Justin Sun paid millions for a banana taped to a wall.
- The banana Sun ate is different from the one he bid on.
- Is artwork fungible?
Justin Sun made headlines on November 21, dropping a hefty $6.2 million at Sotheby’s New York on “The Comedian,” a performative artwork featuring nothing more than a banana duct-taped to a wall. While critics dismissed the purchase as absurd, Sun defended it as a landmark cultural moment worth every penny.
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Fast forward to November 29, and Justin Sun completed the performative act by eating the banana. However, sharp-eyed viewers couldn’t help but notice that the banana he ate seemed far fresher than the week-old fruit he had originally bought.
Justin Sun Eats the Banana
Justin Sun concluded his $6.2 million art spectacle in Hong Kong by eating The Comedian’s famed banana during a lively press conference. Ever the showman, he told the crowd it tasted better than your average banana, earning laughs and applause.
However, observant viewers noticed something was off. The banana Sun devoured looked pristine, unlike the slightly browning fruit seen during the New York auction over a week earlier.
“Taproot Wizard” Eric Wall chimed in on the social media buzz, explaining that The Comedian’s banana is replaced every two to three days as part of the artwork’s maintenance. Mystery solved, or maybe not?
Can Art Be Replicated?
While Wall’s explanation cleared up the mystery, it also deepened the debate. Critics began questioning The Comedian’s integrity as art, wondering if its replaceability undermines its status as true art.
After all, the value of artwork lies in its uniqueness and non-fungibility, and a constantly replaced banana seems to challenge that very idea.
Yet, despite the skepticism, Sun’s purchase undeniably captured global attention. His post-auction tweet from November 21 has amassed over 4 million views and thousands of comments, proving that whether The Comedian qualifies as art or not, it has certainly made a cultural impact.
On the Flipside
- Three prior editions of The Comedian were sold in Miami for between $120,000 – $150,000.
- Justin Sun paid $4.5 million for lunch with Warren Buffett in 2020.
- Damien Hirst agreed to refurbish “The Shark” in 2006 after it had significantly deteriorated.
Why This Matters
The spectacle of the Comedian shows that cultural relevance is worth more than artistic authenticity in 2024.
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