Maurizio Cattelan's Work 'Comedian'
Sold for a Price Six Times Higher Than the Expected Bid
The artwork "Comedian" by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan, which gained attention as the "100 million won banana," was sold at auction for about 8.6 billion won.
On the 20th (local time), foreign media including The New York Times reported that "Comedian" was sold at an auction held in New York, USA, for a winning bid of 6.2 million dollars (about 8.67 billion won). The initial estimated winning bid was between 1 million and 1.5 million dollars (about 1.4 billion to 2.1 billion won). However, it was sold at a price six times higher than expected.
It was reported that the bidding competition was particularly fierce on site. When the artwork appeared at the auction venue that day, the densely packed attendees stood up simultaneously and recorded videos with their mobile phones, and the bidding price, which started at 800,000 dollars (about 1.1 billion won), exceeded the highest estimate of 1.5 million dollars in less than 20 seconds.
The new owner of "Comedian" is said to be Justin Sun, a cryptocurrency entrepreneur born in China. He will receive one banana and one roll of adhesive tape each, along with an installation guide explaining how to replace the banana whenever it rots, and a certificate of authenticity. In a statement, Justin Sun said, "(Cattelan's work) represents a cultural phenomenon connecting the worlds of art, memes, and the cryptocurrency community," adding, "In the coming days, as part of this unique artistic experience, I will eat the banana myself to honor its place in art history and popular culture."
"Comedian" is a work that attaches a banana to a white wall using strong adhesive tape, first introduced by Cattelan at the Miami Art Fair in the U.S. in 2019. The piece is said to carry an intention to mock the realities of the art market. Notably, the artwork was also exhibited at Maurizio's solo exhibition held last year at the Leeum Museum of Art in Seoul, where it became a hot topic domestically and internationally when a university student visitor ate the banana attached to the wall. At that time, the museum replaced the banana with a new one for the exhibition.
Meanwhile, The New York Times reported that the banana in the artwork auctioned that day was a Dole brand product purchased for 35 cents (about 500 won) at a fruit stand near Manhattan's Upper East Side before the auction.
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