In a curious incident at the Centre-Pompidou Metz in eastern France, a visitor recently consumed a fresh banana that was part of Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan’s installation titled Comedian. This event occurred on July 12, as confirmed in a statement by the museum. The artwork, which consists of a banana taped to a wall, has garnered attention since it was first unveiled.
Following the incident, museum security responded efficiently, ensuring that the artwork was promptly reassembled. The Centre-Pompidou Metz clarified that the banana is merely a perishable element, regularly replaced according to Cattelan’s guidelines. However, museum officials expressed disappointment that the visitor viewed the fruit itself as the artwork rather than acknowledging the larger conceptual framework, which includes eating the tape and the wall.
Despite the peculiar nature of this occurrence, no police report was filed. The artwork is designed to critique the absurdities of financial speculation and challenge the existing frameworks within the art market.
This incident is not unprecedented; in 2019, performance artist David Datuna famously peeled and ate the banana during the Miami Art Basel, creating a viral sensation. That original display later sold for approximately $184,000, including a replacement banana. Additionally, another instance in 2023 involved an art student at Seoul’s Leeum Museum, who also ate the banana.
The Centre-Pompidou Metz has humorously noted that this may now be classified as the "most eaten" artwork in the last three decades, indicating how the concept of art continues to intersect with unexpected actions in the public sphere.