In a bold and surreal twist, Chinese-born cryptocurrency entrepreneur Justin Sun has made headlines by eating the banana from Maurizio Cattelan’s infamous artwork Comedian—a banana duct-taped to a wall. Sun purchased the piece for a staggering $6.2 million (£4.9 million) at a Sotheby’s auction in New York last week.

Art Meets Edibility

The original Comedian gained notoriety in 2019 for its simplicity and absurdity, sparking debates about the nature of art. For Sun, eating the banana at a news conference in Hong Kong wasn’t just a spectacle—it was a statement. He used the moment to draw parallels between contemporary art and cryptocurrency, both of which challenge conventional perceptions of value.

“Eating it at a press conference can also become a part of the artwork’s history,” Sun remarked, humorously adding, “It’s much better than other bananas.”

A Performance Within a Performance

This isn’t the first time Comedian’s banana has been eaten. In 2019, a performance artist consumed it during an exhibition, and in 2023, a South Korean student did the same. However, neither of them paid for the privilege, let alone $6.2 million.

Sun’s purchase included the rights to display the installation and instructions for replacing the banana—a necessity given the fruit’s impermanence. For this particular iteration, a fresh banana reportedly costing 35 cents was taped to the wall the day of the auction, transforming it into one of the world’s most expensive fruits.

A Taste of Luxury

To make the event even more interactive, Sun handed out bananas and rolls of duct tape as souvenirs to attendees, symbolically inviting them to participate in the artwork’s legacy. “Everyone has a banana to eat,” Sun declared, underscoring the playful absurdity of the moment.

Art, Crypto, and Value

Sun’s act has reignited conversations about the value of art, the fleeting nature of material goods, and the speculative world of cryptocurrency. Both the banana and blockchain technology challenge traditional notions of worth, suggesting that value lies in perception, context, and cultural significance.

The Legacy of Comedian

By eating the banana, Sun has added yet another layer to the artwork’s evolving narrative. What started as a satirical critique of the art world has become a global phenomenon, blending performance, consumerism, and conceptual art.

In the end, Sun’s edible statement may prove that in both art and crypto, it’s not about the banana—or the blockchain—but the story they tell.