An art student from South Korea ate a banana that was part of a work by artist Maurizio Cattelan, justifying his action by saying he was “hungry”.
The eaten artwork is called “The Comedian,” which is part of Cattelan’s WE-titled exhibition, and consists of a ripe banana affixed to a wall at the Yeom Museum of Art in Seoul.
After eating the banana, the student, Noh Hoyen Su, reinstalled its peel on the wall, according to a video clip that went viral in recent days.
Local media reported that the museum placed a new banana in the same place later, and the administration confirmed that it would not demand compensation from the student.
The BBC suggested that the offered banana is replaced every two or three days.
The banana-eater told local media that he saw Cattelan’s work as a rebellion against a certain authority, but the Seoul National University student told KBS on Monday that his action “might be another rebellion against rebellion,” and “damaging a work of art could be seen.” It’s a work of art.”
This is not the first time a visitor has eaten the banana used in Cattelan’s work. In 2019, theater artist David Datuna pulled the banana from the wall after the artwork was sold for $120,000 in Miami. The banana was quickly replaced and no further action was taken.
