Has he gone bananas? The artist Maurizio Cattelan’s controversial work Comedian has sold for an enormous sum. Some think the art world has lost the plot.
Crypto boss buys a banana for £5m
Seriously?: The sale was the first time that “Comedian” (above) had appeared at auction, after first making a splash at Miami’s Art Basel fair in 2019 before travelling the world. The banana is one of an edition of three. Glossary
Cryptocurrency - A digital currency in which transactions are verified and records maintained by a decentralised system using cryptography, rather than by a centralised authority.
Blockchain - A secure database which records transactions, especially cryptocurrency transactions.
Sotheby's - A British-founded multinational company that organises the sale of art, jewellery and collectable items. It is known for its auction houses.
Pope - The bishop of Rome and the head of the worldwide Catholic Church.
NFT - Non-fungible tokens are digital tokens that represent ownership of unique items. They can be bought and traded online.
Paramilitary - An unofficial group organised like a military force.
Colombia - A country in South America with a population of just over 50 million.