In Hong Kong on Friday, a bitcoin entrepreneur who spent $6.2 million last week on a piece of conceptual art that consisted of a plain banana that was duct-taped to a wall ate the fruit.
Chinese-bornIn a press conference at The Peninsula Hong Kong, one of the most expensive hotels in the city’s well-known retail area, Tsim Sha Tsui, Justin Sun ripped off the duct tape and savored the banana.
Compared to other bananas, it tastes far better. Yes, that’s quite excellent, he said.
When Comedian, created by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan, made its debut at Art Basel Miami Beach in 2019, it caused a stir as attendees attempted to determine whether the lone yellow fruit attached to a white wall using silver duct tape was a joke or a sardonic critique of dubious art collector standards. Another artist once ate the banana after removing it from the wall.
The artwork was so popular that it had to be taken off from display. However, the gallery managing sales at the time reported that three editions brought in between $120,000 and $150,000 every time.
At the Sotheby’s auction in New York last week, Sun, the creator of the cryptocurrency network TRON, placed the winning offer. More precisely, Sun bought an authenticity certificate that allows him to duct-tape a banana to a wall and call it Comedian.
“The piece represents a cultural phenomenon that bridges the worlds of art, memes, and the cryptocurrency community,” Sun said in a statement at the time.
He remarked, “As part of this special artistic experience, I will personally eat the banana, honoring its place in both art history and popular culture.”
According to the South China Morning Post, the banana he consumed on Friday was purchased in Hong Kong.
On Tuesday, Sun revealed on X that he had contributed $30 million to World Liberty Financial, a cryptocurrency business that was started by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump in September.
In the post, Sun stated that his platform, TRON, is dedicated to leading innovation and restoring America’s greatness. After investing in Trump’s business, he joined World Liberty Financial as an advisor.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission accused Sun of fraud and other securities law crimes last year. He replied that there was no merit to the complaint on X.
— The Associated Press’s Kanis Leung
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