HONG KONG – Crypto entrepreneur Justin Sun fulfilled a promise on Friday, eating a banana duct-taped to a wall after spending $6.2 million to acquire the notorious conceptual artwork.
At a posh Hong Kong hotel, Sun chomped down on the fruit in front of dozens of journalists and influencers, hailing the work as “iconic” and drawing parallels between conceptual art and the cryptocurrency industry.
“It’s much better than other bananas,” Sun said after taking his first bite. “It’s really quite good.”
The artwork, titled “Comedian,” was created by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan and sold at a Sotheby’s auction in New York last week. Sun was one of seven bidders for the piece, which sparked controversy when it debuted at the 2019 Art Basel show in Miami Beach.
Sun said he felt “disbelief” after winning the bid, before quickly deciding he would eat the banana as part of the artwork’s history.
“Eating it at a press conference can also become a part of the artwork’s history,” he explained.
The crypto entrepreneur also compared conceptual art like “Comedian” to the world of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and decentralized blockchain technology.
“Most of its objects and ideas exist as (intellectual property) and on the internet, as opposed to something physical,” Sun said.
The event featured two men dressed as auction house staff standing in front of a bare wall, with the yellow banana providing the only splash of color. Attendees each received a roll of duct tape and a banana as a souvenir.
“Everyone has a banana to eat,” Sun said.
The crypto businessman’s move comes as he disclosed a $30 million investment in World Liberty Financial, a crypto project backed by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump. Sun was charged last year by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for offering and selling unregistered securities related to his Tron crypto project, a case that is still ongoing. (source: AFP)
