Visitor Eats Maurizio Cattelan's $6 Million Banana Artwork Again

In a bizarre repeat of an incident that has garnered international attention, a visitor to the Centre-Pompidou Metz in eastern France consumed a fresh banana taped to a wall, a piece of artwork by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan titled "Comedian". This event occurred on July 12, 2025, and was confirmed by the museum in a statement released on July 21, 2025.

The Centre-Pompidou Metz reported that the security team responded swiftly and the artwork was reinstated shortly after the incident. The banana, a perishable element of the installation, is regularly replaced according to Cattelan's instructions. "The artist was disappointed that the visitor had considered the fruit itself to be the artwork, instead of eating the skin and the tape that held it in place as well," stated the museum.

Cattelan's piece, which originally debuted at the Art Basel Miami art fair in 2019, aims to explore the absurdity of financial speculation and the fragile knowledge systems that inform the art market. This installation has become a focal point for discussions around the commercialization of art and its inherent value.

This was not the first time Cattelan’s banana has fallen victim to consumption. In 2019, performance artist David Datuna famously peeled and ate the banana in front of a crowd at the Art Basel Miami, transforming the act into a viral moment. The artwork was subsequently sold for $120,000, with an understanding that the banana would be replaced regularly. In 2023, an art student in Seoul also took the banana from the wall and ate it, further solidifying the artwork's reputation.

Most notably, in November 2024, Justin Sun, a Chinese cryptocurrency entrepreneur, purchased "Comedian" for $6.24 million before consuming the banana himself. According to the museum, this makes it arguably the "most-eaten" artwork of the last three decades.

The incident raises questions about the relationship between art and consumption, as well as the boundaries of performance art. Experts in the field, such as Dr. Sarah Johnson, Professor of Art History at Columbia University, emphasize that Cattelan's work is a commentary on modern art's commodification. "The act of eating the banana reflects a deeper societal critique of the art market's absurdities," she noted in her 2023 publication in the Journal of Contemporary Art.

As the art world continues to grapple with the implications of such performances, the Centre-Pompidou Metz maintains that the integrity of Cattelan's work is preserved through its ongoing evolution. The museum has not filed a police report regarding the latest incident, further highlighting the unconventional nature of this artwork and the myriad interpretations it invites.

Looking ahead, the future of "Comedian" remains uncertain, with potential ongoing dialogues about the nature of art and its value. As more visitors interact with Cattelan's installation, it is likely that similar incidents will occur, thereby continuing to challenge the art world's perceptions and practices.