During a media event at a high-end hotel in Hong Kong, Crypto entrepreneur Sun indulged in a banana from Maurizio Cattelan's "Comedian", a piece of conceptual art he recently acquired at a Sotheby's auction in New York. After consuming the banana, Sun remarked on its quality and discussed the parallels he sees between conceptual art and the world of cryptocurrency, suggesting that both realms largely exist in the intellectual and digital domain rather than the physical one.
The artwork, which debuted at the 2019 Art Basel show in Miami Beach, has sparked debate over its classification as art. Sun's act of eating the banana at a press conference was intended to add to the artwork's history. He also mentioned his recent advisory role with World Liberty Financial, a crypto initiative supported by US President-elect Donald Trump, after making a $30 million investment. Despite this political connection, Sun emphasized his apolitical stance and his aim to bridge traditional finance with decentralized finance. His involvement in the crypto sector has not been without controversy, facing charges from the US Securities and Exchange Commission, which he has denied.
The artwork "Comedian" comes with a certificate of authenticity and instructions for replacing the banana. Sun speculated that the value of the artwork might increase similarly to Bitcoin, driven by speculative interest.
Source: France24