Posted on 11/21/2024 8:53:52 AM PST by Diana in Wisconsin
A piece of conceptual art consisting of a simple banana, duct-taped to a wall, sold for $6.2 million at an auction in New York on Wednesday, with the winning bid coming from a prominent cryptocurrency entrepreneur.
"Comedian," by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan, was a phenomenon when it debuted in 2019 at Art Basel Miami Beach, as festivalgoers tried to make out whether the single yellow piece of fruit affixed to a white wall with silver duct tape was a joke or cheeky commentary on questionable standards among art collectors. At one point, another artist took the banana off the wall and ate it. The piece attracted so much attention that it had to be withdrawn from view. But three editions sold for between $120,000 and $150,000, according to the gallery handling sales at the time.
Five years later, Justin Sun, founder of cryptocurrency platform TRON, has now paid more than 40 times that higher price point at the Sotheby's auction. Or, more accurately, Sun purchased a certificate of authenticity that gives him the authority to duct-tape a banana to a wall and call it "Comedian."
The piece attracted heavy attention at the busy auction at Sotheby's, with attendees in the crowded room holding up phones to take photos as two handlers wearing white gloves stood at both sides of the banana.
(Excerpt) Read more at channel3000.com ...
At least it is more tangible of a vehicle of monetary exchange than crypto is.
All of those suggesting money laundering are guilty of plantain the seeds of doubt.
But in this soft-on-crime world, they’ll be out on a peel soon enough.
“two handlers wearing white gloves stood at both sides of the banana”
Seems a bit egregious for a hanging participle
It’s a bunch of money, that’s for sure.
“...out on a peel soon enough “
Good, I could do with some new slippers.
Pure money laundering is all that this is.
Then they will split..................
I read a deep dive into how the elite money launder through art.
it was just bananas.
Safeway in California has them for $0.89 a pound.
Opinion:
Art in all its forms (architecture, paintings, poetry, movie, photography, dance, songs, sculpture, literature...) is a reflection of the values of a society.
In a nihilist, hedonistic, class focused and consumerist society, all you have left is shock and awe, attention grabbing junk that attempts to be different in some way and of course is sold to the highest bidder. The only “universal and timeless appeal” modern art has, is when it appeals to the most basic primal human drives like sex.
Example: https://cdn.sanity.io/images/cxgd3urn/production/e15fefd4432ac92623d2d549d310d347241abffd-921x645.jpg?w=640&h=448&fit=crop&auto=format
Much of modern art is really vapid shallow junk, meaningless since no one can really tell you what the meaning is, there are no higher values or universally understood ideas that are conveyed or addressed.
True art, the stuff that's good, stands the test of time and is understood. The layperson actually gets it, unlike the modern junk where only some art snob gets it after he was told by someone else what it means, but now can use it to pretend he's more cultured than others. Just like Jeff Koontz or Robert Mapplethorpe were huge names and regarded as major artists in their time, but today are forgotten names, so will this trash.
A certificate, huh. I want to see the original banana today.
Don’t be an art denier, accept the beauty of the banana.
Armed with duct tape, because you really have to be slick when it comes to self defense against fresh fruit.
I remember May West said, “Is that a banana in your pocket, or are you glad to see me”. That seems so much more meaningful.
Further evidence of recession.
“Duct-taped banana sells again at auction — for $6.2 million”
that guy got ripped off: that looks like a forgery to me ...
This sounds like a *bunch* of junk. This week’s only banana art was the one aboard the Starship.
Yup. The windows of the Starship need something, I’m thinkin’, plantation shutters.
you’d think the price would drop as it rots...
Modern art galleries. A RICO organized crime syndicate.
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