1mo ago

Duct-taped banana artwork auctioned for $6.2m in New York

www.bbc.com Duct-taped banana artwork auctioned for $6.2m in New York

The winning bidder says he will eat the banana in coming days as part of a "unique artistic experience".

The taped banana - now perhaps one of the most expensive fruits ever sold - was actually bought earlier in the day for a mere $0.35, according to the New York Times.

36 comments

Money laundering
- Yo I was about to comment this.
  Like literally.
  How do you transfer a huge amount of money.
  Just get the receipient to create "art"
  Instruct receipient to sell "art" for the amount of money
  Voila, legal money laundering!
  
  Yeah, it's the first thing I thought. Everybody else sees it too, right? This is well past dadaism.
  ...but wasn't this the case all along in the art market, except for institutional buyers?
  
  I don't understand how buying art with 6.2 m in cash is not going to be suspicious though?
  
  Was commonplace in vanilla wow, you would see common items in the Auction House selling for silly prices - those were the players buying gold. Washing it via the auction house making it seem more legitimate.
- For real. If I really wanted the "art" I wouldn't have to spend more than $15. $5 for a roll of duct tape, $10 for a banana.
  
  I see what you did there
- The fact that it was bought by a crypto "entrepreneur" pretty much confirms it.

I don't get the apeel.
- I might be splitting hairs, but it’s appeal.
  
  It's a pun. A peel, like the skin on a banana.

I too have a nearly perfect replica of this piece. I'm selling each piece, which is part of an extremely limited run of 1000 pieces in total produced this week on demand, signed and sealed in a Tupperware container for freshness, for $2,990 each, worldwide shipping is just another $299.
- I'd be willing to sell it for $299 with $29 shipping, what a steal!

It's really just one of a limited number of licenses which allows the owner of the license to showcase the work and legally regard it as an official work from the artist who first came up with the idea. Anyone can tape a banana to a wall, but only a few can do so and say that it's an 'original'.
- I don't know if I can trust the license. Any way to make it burn a ton of electricity to function?
  
  We'll do I have a bridge to sell you!
- who gives a shit if it's original or derivative
  Tape a different fruit and it's now a new original
  
  Do this as an institution you'll get nuked in court.
  Do this as an individual nobody will pay to see it.
  The more you complain the more it's worth.
  People pay money to see it because it's controversial.
  That's why it's art.
  
  I agree, it's very absurd, and that's part of the point. It's also obvious too that someone gives a shit since they're willing to shell out millions of dollars for it. And as far as taping another piece of fruit to the wall, it unlikely to do well because with modern and conceptual art, it's all about who came up with the idea first.

Traditional art was just NFTs all along.
🌍🧑‍🚀🔫🧑‍🚀
- You mean it's all money laundering?
  
  Yep!

You cannot stop idiots from being stupid.
- Actually we are the idiots, because we just let them launder money

World gone mad.
- The rich need more money laundering vehicles.

36 comments