$6.2M Banana Eaten Again At French Museum

Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan’s artwork “Comedian,” featuring a fresh banana taped to a wall, has been consumed by a visitor at the Centre-Pompidou Metz museum in eastern France. According to the museum’s statement, the incident occurred on July 12, and the security team responded quickly and calmly, reinstalling the artwork shortly after. The museum noted that the banana is the only “perishable element,” and is regularly replaced per Cattelan’s instructions. This is not the first time “Comedian” has been eaten. In 2019, a performance artist ate the banana at Art Basel Miami, and in 2023, an art student consumed the artwork at the Leeum Museum of Art in Seoul. Additionally, in 2024, the piece was acquired by Chinese collector Justin Sun, who then ate the banana. (Newser)