Banana taped to a wall sells for $6,200,000 at auction

A banana duct-taped to a wall has sold for $6.2 million at an auction in New York.

The piece of conceptual art is called ‘Comedian’ and was made by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan.

The art was this week bought by Justin Sun, the founder of a cryptocurrency platform.

However, Mr Sun didn’t buy the actual Comedian, he just bought a certificate giving him the right to duct-tape a banana to the wall and call it Comedian.

The buyer said the piece ‘represents a cultural phenomenon that bridges the worlds of art, memes, and the cryptocurrency community.

Mr Sun added: ‘Additionally, in the coming days, I will personally eat the banana as part of this unique artistic experience, honouring its place in both art history and popular culture.’

Bidding started at $800,000 before rapidly increasing.

Auctioneer Oliver Barker cried: ‘Don’t let it slip away.

‘Don’t miss this opportunity. These are words I’ve never thought I’d say: Five million dollars for a banana.’

Comedian first debuted in 2019 at Art Basel Miami Beach, with festivalgoers trying to work out whether it was supposed to be a joke or not.

At one point, another artist took the banana off the wall and ate it.

The piece attracted so much attention at the festival that it had to be withdrawn from view.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.