The solo sailing race, which lasts two to four months, can sometimes seem interminable. The French skipper, for his part, seems to make fun of contemporary art.
Two weeks after the start of the Vendée Globe, a famous solo race which lasts 2 to 4 months, time can seem interminable for the skippers. During the night of November 18 to 19, French skipper Benjamin Ferré was slowed down by a zone of calm. Taking advantage of this calm, he indulged in an artistic performance inspired by Comedianthe iconic work of Maurizio Cattelan which had provoked numerous reactions. « I learned that an Italian artist auctioned off a banana taped together for $6 million. I wanted to show you something to estimate its value »he explains in a video shared on his social networks.
Benjamin Ferré refers here to Comediana banana taped to the wall, first revealed by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan in 2019. « Could you tell me the value of this banana attached to the mast of the Imoca Monnoyeur – DUO for a JOB? If art lovers can enlighten me, know that it is a banana which is currently traveling around the world. I named her Peggy the Banana »he jokes.
A banana worth millions
It is the most expensive banana ever sold in the history of our world. The images quickly toured the globe, even being seen by skipper Benjamin Ferré. Cattelan's banana was sold for the impressive sum of $6.2 million (including fees) during an auction organized by Sotheby's on Wednesday, November 20 in New York.
This creation continues to fascinate and divide, illustrating both its power of seduction and its capacity to arouse controversy. Justin Sun, founder of the cryptocurrency platform Tron, identified himself as the buyer in an official press release from Sotheby's. He also promised to « eating the banana, making it a unique artistic performance, and thus honoring its place in both the history of art and popular culture ».
