Art is subjective and — apparently — sometimes edible.
Justin Sun, the crypto entrepreneur who purchased the now-viral art piece featuring a banana taped to a wall, has eaten it. The piece, titled “Comedian,” was created by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan and sold for $6.2 million at a recent Sotheby’s auction.
Sun, 34, a Hong-Kong-based billionaire, shared a video of himself taking the banana off the wall, peeling it and then eating it in a post shared on X (formerly known as Twitter) on Friday, Nov. 29.
In the caption of the post, he revealed how the banana tasted. “To be honest, for a banana with such a back story, the taste is naturally different from an ordinary one,” he wrote in part. “I could discern a hint of what Big Mike bananas from 100 years ago might have tasted like.”
In an interview with CNN, Sun shared his thoughts on the potential impact of the art piece.
“I think this banana [will] probably become iconic artwork for everyone to understand: What’s artwork? Right?” he said.
“What’s the value of art?” he continued, adding, “Actually the value of art not only comes from the physical art piece, but also comes from the history of the artwork, the interaction with the artwork and also the owner’s history. I want to eat it to become a part of the history.”
While the Sotheby’s auction was silent, Sun revealed that he was the buyer in a post on his X account on Nov. 20.
“This is not just an artwork; it represents a cultural phenomenon that bridges the worlds of art, memes and the cryptocurrency community,” he wrote at the time. “I believe this piece will inspire more thought and discussion in the future and will become a part of history.”
“I am honored to be the proud owner of the banana 🍌 and look forward to it sparking further inspiration and impact for art enthusiasts around the world,” he added.
The piece that Sun ate is actually the third edition of this specific installation — with each previous edition also being consumed after purchase, per CNN.
The artist behind the work has become well-known for his satirical creations, including a working 18-karat gold toilet which was exhibited at the Guggenheim Museum in New York City in 2017.
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In a 2022 interview with the art publication Gagozian, Cattelan said he believes his banana piece has been so successful because it’s like “a joke.”
“A joke makes you happy, makes you smile,” he explained. “It’s comfort art, if you want to call it art. Not much art makes you truly happy and comfortable. But it has another quality: it’s not a gadget. It’s not art turned into a gadget. It is what it is.”
