A museum guest consumed a multimillion-dollar banana installation at France's cultural institution during the previous weekend, officials confirmed Friday, representing the most recent incident involving the controversial conceptual artwork. France 24 reported that the valuable piece required immediate restoration following the unexpected consumption.
Maurizio Cattelan, the Italian creator behind the provocative installation titled "Comedian" – which fetched $6.2 million at a New York sale during the previous year – expressed dissatisfaction that the individual failed to consume the adhesive material and banana peel as well, according to France 24.
Following the incident involving the appetite-driven guest on the preceding Saturday, "security staff rapidly and calmly intervened," the Pompidou-Metz museum in eastern France stated, as France 24 documented.
The installation received immediate restoration, with museum officials noting it was "reinstalled within minutes," they confirmed to the outlet. Museum representatives explained that "As the fruit is perishable, it is regularly replaced according to instructions from the artist," France 24 reported.
Cattelan observed that the individual who consumed the banana had "confused the fruit for the work of art," according to the media outlet. "Instead of eating the banana with its skin and duct tape, the visitor just consumed the fruit," the artist explained, France 24 documented.
The edible installation by Cattelan has generated debate since its inaugural presentation at Miami Beach's 2019 Art Basel exhibition. The artist has described his banana creation as critique targeting the art marketplace, an industry he has previously condemned for excessive speculation and inadequate support for creative professionals.
The New York Post characterized the original $120,000 price tag for "Comedian" in 2019 as proof that the marketplace had become "bananas" and the artistic community had "gone mad." Previous consumption incidents have occurred with this particular artwork.
David Datuna, a performance artist, consumed "Comedian" during 2019, claiming he experienced being "hungry" while examining the piece at the Miami exhibition. Justin Sun, a crypto entrepreneur of Chinese origin, purchased the artwork for $6.2 million the previous year, subsequently consuming it while cameras documented the event. Beyond his banana installation, Cattelan gained recognition for creating an 18-carat, operational gold toilet titled "America" that was presented to Donald Trump throughout his initial White House tenure.
A British judicial panel determined in March that two individuals committed theft of the golden toilet during a 2020 exhibition in the United Kingdom, taken from an 18th-century estate that served as Winston Churchill's birthplace. The valuable toilet was dismantled into components and none of the precious metal has been located.
