The controversial work, which instantly went viral when it debuted at Art Basel in 2019, beat estimates several times over.

A banana duct-taped to a white wall — or an acclaimed piece of art, depending on how you look at it — sold at a Sotheby’s auction for $US6.24 ($A9.57) million on Wednesday. Maurizio Cattelan’s Comedian is comprised simply of a banana stuck to the wall with a strip of silver duct tape and is hung exactly 160cm from the floor.

The conceptual artwork, “Comedian,” by the noted prankster Maurizio Cattelan was auctioned at Sotheby’s on Wednesday.

If you thought the first price tag on Maurizio Cattelan’s viral banana duct-taped to a wall installation was obscene. This one might make you go bananas.

The buyer purchased a certificate of authenticity that gives them the authority to duct-tape a banana to a wall and call it 'Comedian'

Maurizio Cattelan's 'Comedian,' a banana duct-taped to a wall, sold for $6.2 million at a Sotheby's auction. The artwork, purchased by Justin Sun, sparked debate about the nature of modern art. While some saw it as a social commentary,

Artist Maurizio Cattelan's "Comedian" piece - which is a banana stuck to a wall with silver duct tape - which debuted at Art Basel Miami Beach has fetched more than $6million at auction