Bot stroke

Banana prices in the world market are rising, making the fruit slightly more expensive today than earlier this year. Producers attribute the increase in prices to higher farming costs.

A banana that cost 19 cents is now priced at 23 cents at Trader Joe’s stores in the United States, according to the LA Times.

Even the price of the most expensive banana is expected to rise. This banana, which is duct-taped to a wall, is a conceptual artwork titled “Comedian” by Maurizio Cattelan. It is expected to fetch up to $1.5 million at a Sotheby’s auction. Its owner purchased it for $120,000 at another auction in 2019.

For the upcoming auction, the winning bidder will receive a roll of duct tape and one banana, along with a certificate of authenticity and official instructions for installing the artwork, according to Sotheby’s, as reported by CNN.

Meanwhile, another artwork being auctioned by Sotheby’s is a unique portrait of English mathematician and World War II cryptanalyst Alan Turing.

British gallerist Aidan Meller described “A.I. God: Portrait of Alan Turing (2024)” as representing “society’s relationship to technology,” according to CNN.

“All the greatest artists, if you look in the past, are those who resonate with the changes and shifts in society and explore that through their artwork. So what better way to do that than to actually have a machine produce the artwork?” he said, as reported by CNN.

“A.I. God: Portrait of Alan Turing (2024)” was created by Ai-Da Robot, which drew and painted Turing using its camera eyes and robotic arms.

Sotheby’s estimates the painting will sell for between $120,000 and $180,000 on 31 October.