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That's just bananas! 'Pure genius' work of fruit duct-taped to a wall sells for eye-watering $6.2 MILLION at Sotheby's auction
UK Daily Mail ^ | November 21, 2024 | Sabrina Penty

Posted on 11/21/2024 4:51:56 AM PST by C19fan

An art installation of a banana duct taped to a wall that was previously hailed as a 'defiant work of pure genius' has sold at Sotheby's in New York for $6.2 million.

Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan's 'Comedian' piece was snatched up by Chinese crypto entrepreneur Justin Sun, who outbid six other offers on Wednesday.

'After over 6 minutes of heated bidding, Deputy Chairman of Sotheby's and Chairman of Sotheby's China, Jen Hua, placed the winning bid for 'Comedian' on behalf of, Chinese collector and founder of cryptocurrency platform TRON, Sotheby's announced on X.

(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Arts/Photography; History; Society
KEYWORDS: banana; modern; newyork; sotheby
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To: HYPOCRACY

Used to use potatoes for free.


21 posted on 11/21/2024 5:19:12 AM PST by sasquatch (Do NOT forget Ashli Babbit! c/o piytar)
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To: albie

He’s no idiot....the buyer intends to eat the banana! :)


22 posted on 11/21/2024 5:19:58 AM PST by xp38
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To: C19fan

Perhaps modern art is just an ad-hoc currency for the very wealthy. It needn’t have any intrinsic value, or even be art, in any real sense.


23 posted on 11/21/2024 5:20:28 AM PST by rightwingcrazy (;-,)
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To: C19fan

When crap like this goes for unseemly amounts of money, it is a 99% probability that money laundering is the goal.


24 posted on 11/21/2024 5:20:51 AM PST by ByteMercenary (Cho Bi Dung and KamalHo are not my leaders.)
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To: C19fan
I've been doing it all wrong.


25 posted on 11/21/2024 5:21:49 AM PST by alancarp (George Orwell was an optimist.)
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To: C19fan

What motivates someone to buy a rotten banana on a board, a canvas filled with paint splashed by a monkey, or the output of an “AI” program?

I’ve got an old dropcloth from the last time I did some painting. What do you suppose I can get for it, if I say it was done by a monkey running an “AI” program?


26 posted on 11/21/2024 5:23:39 AM PST by I want the USA back (Voltaire: To learn who rules over you, simply find out who you are not allowed to criticize.)
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To: C19fan

This is what the Bolsheviks called the Bourgeoisie.

A class of wealthy, decadent, depraved groups that look down on the lower class peasants. They have endless money to burn.

I am describing the elitist World Economic Forum EuroTrash.


27 posted on 11/21/2024 5:31:00 AM PST by Flavious_Maximus (Tony Fauci will be put on death row and die of COVID!)
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To: C19fan
“Geniuses”….the REAL geniuses were Michaelangelo, Da Vinci, Renoir, etc.

I consider it intellectual laziness to call a banana taped to a wall “genius”.

If I hung a blank canvas on a wall and came up with the right title for it, I could sell it for a million bucks.

28 posted on 11/21/2024 5:31:28 AM PST by telescope115 (I NEED MY SPACE!!! 🔭)
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To: C19fan

Modern “art” has to rank as an uber-major oxymoron.


29 posted on 11/21/2024 5:33:03 AM PST by Da Coyote (H)
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To: alancarp

The banana duct taped as it is is a cry out about the injustice of the world. The use of the negative space surrounding it is artistic brilliance!


30 posted on 11/21/2024 5:33:47 AM PST by xp38
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To: telescope115
"I consider it intellectual laziness to call a banana taped to a wall “genius”.

The genius is not as an artist, but as a marketer. Turning a strip of duct tape and a banana into $6.2M has to be one of the greatest returns on investment in history. In pure terms of a free market economy, the guy provided a manufactured good to somebody willing to pay an exorbitant amount for it. Good for him.

That somebody with that kind of cash was willing to shell it out is more a comment on the nihilism of our culture than it is on the marketer who merely took advantage of it, and is now laughing all the way to the bank.

31 posted on 11/21/2024 5:42:07 AM PST by Joe 6-pack
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To: C19fan

Banana art?

How about this banana:

On sixth flight, Starship’s first ever payload was a stuffed banana:

https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/why-starships-first-ever-payload-was-a-stuffed-banana/article68889356.ece


32 posted on 11/21/2024 5:45:33 AM PST by BBB333 (The Power Of Trump Compels You!)
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To: C19fan

The buyer can be identified by the hook marks in cheeks.


33 posted on 11/21/2024 5:56:32 AM PST by Vaduz
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To: C19fan

A fool and his money are soon parted.


34 posted on 11/21/2024 6:01:19 AM PST by metmom (He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus”)
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To: C19fan

Can you say, “Money laundering”?


35 posted on 11/21/2024 6:06:06 AM PST by Sicon ("All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others." - G. Orwell)
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Comment #36 Removed by Moderator

To: C19fan

What happens in a weeks time when the banana rots? Does it go up or down in value?


37 posted on 11/21/2024 6:14:36 AM PST by BlackbirdSST (Trump or Bust! Long live the Republic.)
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To: C19fan

I’m sure many forgeries will soon appear.


38 posted on 11/21/2024 6:21:33 AM PST by Huskrrrr (Alinsky, you magnificent Bastard, I read your book!)
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To: Sicon

Yup! Money laundering.
I’m surprised Hunter didn’t think of this. In 3 minutes he could have duct taped his pipe to a canvas and titled the masterpiece “Not my pipe”


39 posted on 11/21/2024 6:22:48 AM PST by 1_Rain_Drop ( ~~ TRUMP is right about EVERYTHING ! ~~ )
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To: mkmensinger

No sucker about it. I am now convinced that the “art world” is a huge money laundering scheme.


40 posted on 11/21/2024 6:24:26 AM PST by healy61 (.)
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