A conceptual artwork by Maurizio Cattelan, “Comedian,” is just a fruit-stand banana taped on the wall. But 7 bidders were biting. It went to a crypto entrepreneur.

Maurizio Cattelan's "Comedian," a banana duct-taped to a wall, was sold at Sotheby's in New York on Wednesday for $6.2 million.

In the Sotheby’s Auction House sale room — an intimate, carpeted seventh-floor auditorium on the Upper East Side — it’s not uncommon to see standing-room-only attendance. Or for the bidding crowd, many holding martinis or champagne glasses,

The buyer, China-born crypto entrepreneur and Justin Sun, spent $6.2 million on the piece by artist Maurizio Cattelan Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. You must be logged in to join the discussion or read more comments.

Despite Maurizio Cattelan's Comedian selling for a staggering $6.2m, The Now and contemporary auctions in New York made 63% less than last year

Comedian,” by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan, was a phenomenon when it debuted in 2019 at Art Basel Miami Beach.

This year has seen some of the worst sales in decades for the art market, and the “Comedian” piece is unlikely to move the needle one way or the other.

Justin Sun, founder of the cryptocurrency platform TRON, bought a duct-taped banana artwork entitled “Comedian” for millions of dollars.

The Italian artist who created the banana duct-taped to a wall that sold this week for $6.2 million, said in an interview published on Friday that the work was a "provocation" and an invitation to appreciate the true value of art.