He Paid $6.2 Million for It: The Owner of the “Banana on the Wall” Eats It

In a bizarre event that captured attention, Chinese businessman Justin Sun, aged 34, fulfilled his promise by eating a banana he had purchased as a piece of art for $6.2 million.

The banana, created by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan under the title Comedian, was taped to the wall with simple duct tape, sparking widespread debate about the definition and boundaries of art.

During a press conference at one of Hong Kong’s most luxurious hotels, Sun delivered a speech praising the artwork, calling it “iconic,” before eating the banana in front of a crowd of journalists and influencers. After tasting it, he remarked, “It’s much better than an ordinary banana. It’s truly delicious.”

The artwork, sold at an auction by Sotheby’s in New York, had been contested by seven bidders, with Sun emerging as the winner. Initially stunned, he later decided that eating the banana would become part of its artistic narrative. He stated, “Eating this banana during a press conference can also become an extension of the artwork.”

First showcased at Art Basel Miami Beach in 2019, the piece sparked heated discussions about conceptual art. In the ballroom of the Peninsula Hotel, the bright yellow banana taped to a minimalist wall stood out as the focal point, adding symbolic value to the event.

Interestingly, the banana, sold for millions of dollars, had been purchased for less than a dollar from a small stand in New York run by 74-year-old Shah Alam. Upon learning that the banana had become part of an exorbitantly priced artwork, Alam tearfully said, “I’m a poor man. I’ve never seen such money in my life.”

Subsequently, Sun pledged to buy 100,000 bananas from Alam’s stand for global distribution, as a way to honor the connection between everyday life and art. Attendees at the event also received a banana and a piece of duct tape as souvenirs, with the message that “anyone can create art from the simplest things.”