Justin Sun, a Chinese-born cryptocurrency entrepreneur, is making waves on social media after he ate the banana artwork he bought for Rs 52 crore. The artwork featured a banana duct-taped to a wall. Sun peeled off the duct tape and enjoyed the banana during a press conference held in The Peninsula Hong Kong, in the Tsim Sha Tsui district, the Associated Press reported.
“It’s much better than other bananas. It’s really quite good,” Sun said in the viral video. Titled “Comedian”, the conceptual artwork by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan was purchased by Sun at four times its estimated value and the payment was made in crypto.
Sharing the video on X, Sun wrote, “Many friends asked me how this banana tasted. To be honest, for a banana with such a story, the taste is naturally different from ordinary bananas. I tasted the flavor of a Gros Michel banana from 100 years ago.”
Watch here:
许多朋友问我这根香蕉的味道如何。老实说，对于一根有如此故事的香蕉，味道自然和普通香蕉不一样。我品尝出了一种100年前大麦克香蕉的味道。🍌 pic.twitter.com/ddo8pEjatx
— H.E. Justin Sun 🍌 (@justinsuntron) November 29, 2024
With over 5,08,000 views, the video incited various reactions. “Ah. I silently picked up my 3 yuan banana and tasted it. It was very sweet,” a user wrote. “It would be more fun if I cut it up and gave it to a hundred people,” another user commented.
“A brilliant eccentricity. Many people will criticize this act, but I think that everyone has the right to do what they want with their money,” a third user reacted.
Created in an edition of three, the artwork was first showcased at Art Basel Miami Beach in 2019 by Perrotin Gallery. Artist Maurizio Cattelan initially purchased it at a Miami grocery store for about 30 cents each and the work sold for between $120,000 and $150,000, with one piece eventually being a part of the Guggenheim Collection. During the event, Georgian artist David Datuna removed the banana from the wall and ate it in a piece he called “Hungry Artist.” The banana was later replaced.