Cryptocurrency tycoon and Tron (TRX) founder Justin Sun just ate the centerpiece of a $6.2 million controversial artwork.
“Comedian” is the title of a controversial conceptual artwork by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan. It consists of a banana duct-taped to a white wall. Justin Sun recently acquired the pricey fruit for $6.2 million at an auction at New York’s Sotheby’s, only to then eat it.
Comedian
Comedian has attracted significant attention ever since it was unveiled back in 2019 at Art Basel Miami Beach. Festival goers were reportedly confused as to whether the banana duct-taped to a wall was a joke or real artwork commenting on questionable art standards.
Justin Sun was not the first to eat the artwork. Georgian-American artist David Datuna also famously ate the banana back in 2019 but was not charged for it. He approached the artwork and ate the banana before being escorted off the premises — without first buying it.
The crypto tycoon said that he was in disbelief for the first ten seconds after winning the auction for the artwork. While eating the fruit at a Hong Kong hotel, before influencers and journalists, he claimed:
“It’s much better than other bananas. […] It’s really quite good.”
Sun compared conceptual art to non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and blockchain technology. He explained:
“Most of its objects and ideas exist as (intellectual property) and on the internet, as opposed to something physical.”
After acquiring the artwork, Sun was given a certificate of authenticity proving that it was created by Cattelan alongside instructions for replacing the fruit when it starts to rot. He said that he expects the Comedian’s price to go up in the future, very much like Bitcoin’s:
“I think (the price) probably is going to go up even more in the future, just like Bitcoin.”
This is one pricey bet, but Sun can afford it. Data gathered from blockchain intelligence platform Arkham Intelligence shows that Sun’s portfolio is worth nearly $1,89 billion, making the price of the Comedian just a drop in the bucket.
