The man who was crazy enough to buy a banana taped to a wall for US$6.2 million (S$8.3 million) has gone a step further — he ate it in front of bemused members of the media.
Chinese cryptocurrency tycoon Justin Sun then said that the fruit tasted “not bad”.
Source: CoinEx Filipino on Facebook
On 21 Nov, Mr Sun, 34, announced on Facebook that he had bought the artwork — basically a yellow banana plastered onto a wall with duct tape.
Source: H.E. Justin Sun on Facebook
Titled “Comedian”, the piece by Italian prankster Maurizio Cattelan went on auction at Sotheby’s the day before.
After his purchase, the tycoon said it was “not just an artwork”, but “represents a cultural phenomenon that bridges the worlds of art, memes, and the cryptocurrency community”, adding:
I believe this piece will inspire more thought and discussion in the future and will become a part of history. I am honoured 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 also said he intended to eat the banana “as part of this unique artistic experience, honouring its place in both art history and popular culture”.
Source: H.E. Justin Sun on Facebook
In a subsequent post, he revealed that he would do the deed on Friday (29 Nov) afternoon.
True to his word, at the appointed date and time Mr Sun stood in front of the media at a hotel in Hong Kong and removed the banana from the wall.
Source: CoinEx Filipino on Facebook
He then peeled it open and ate what has been dubbed the most expensive snack in history.
Source: Qwer Labs on Facebook
Asked by reporters whether it tasted good, he replied in Mandarin:
It tastes much better than other bananas. Not bad indeed.
He then took another bite as another reporter could be heard asking him, “can I have a bite?”.
Mr Sun, who was born in Xining, a city in Qinghai province of China, told the South China Morning Post that the banana was not the exact one that Sotheby’s sold him.
That one was bought before the auction from a street vendor outside the auction house in New York.
The banana he ate was bought in Hong Kong recently.
In return for the S$8.3 million he paid, he reportedly received not just the banana, but a roll of duct tape, a certificate of authenticity and an instruction manual describing how to accurately install the banana to the wall and how to replace it.
Cattelan first debuted his artwork at Art Basel Miami Beach in 2019, where three editions of the banana artwork were priced at US$120,000 (S$160,000) each.
It “captured the world’s attention immediately”, said Mr David Galperin, Sotheby’s head of contemporary art for the Americas.
The bidding at Sotheby’s started at US$800,000 (S$1.08 million).
Mr Sun said that he was in “disbelief” in the 10 seconds after he won the bid, according to The Guardian.
Source: H.E. Justin Sun on Facebook
However, in the 10 seconds after that, he decided to eat it as he realised “this could become something big”.
On Friday, he said that eating it at a press conference could also “become a part of the artwork’s history”.
Also read: Artwork of banana taped to wall sold for over S$8M in New York, crafted by famous Italian artist
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Featured image adapted from Qwer Labs on Facebook and H.E. Justin Sun on Facebook.
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