Someone Ate the $6 Million Banana Taped to a Museum Wall—Again

In Still Life with Fruit, the artist Caravaggio proved that a simple fruit spread can make an engaging subject for a painting. More recently, the Italian satirical artist Maurizio Cattelan showed that you don’t even need to paint fruit to turn it into art: You can simply duct-tape it to a wall. But six years after Comedian debuted in its original form, museums can’t stop people from eating the bananas at the center of the piece.

1. Consuming Fine Art
2. The World’s Most Expensive Banana
3. The Meaning Behind Comedian

Consuming Fine Art

Comedian is currently on display at the Center Pompidou-Metz in northern France. The duct-taped banana is part of “Endless Sunday,” a designated exhibit featuring various pieces from Cattelan. Of all his works, Comedian has likely attracted the most attention—ranging from scathing reviews to a $6 million sale last year.

It’s hard to say if one museumgoer’s recent response to the piece is positive or negative. Someone pulled the banana off the wall and ate it on July 12. According to France 24, the Pompidou-Metz security personnel calmly intervened, but couldn’t save the banana. Luckily, there was another banana on standby. Cattelan seemed disappointed that the museum visitor didn’t eat the duct tape and banana skin, too, telling the outlet that the culprit “confused the fruit for the work of art.”

The World’s Most Expensive Banana

Since Comedian debuted in 2019, several people haven’t been able to resist biting into it. A performance artist ate the fruit during its first showing at the Art Basel show in Miami. Three other versions of the artwork each sold for between $120,000 and $150,000 at the same event. Then, in 2023, a visitor to the Leeum Museum of Art in Korea ripped the banana off the wall and consumed it.

The cryptocurrency entrepreneur who purchased a version of Comedian for $6.2 million in 2024 was also enticed by its edible nature. After purchasing it through Sotheby’s in New York, he ate it on camera and declared it tasted better than other bananas.

The Meaning Behind Comedian

In an interview with The Art Newspaper, Cattelan said that he didn’t view Comedian as a joke; it was meant to be a sincere commentary on the art industry. “At art fairs, speed and business reign,” the artist explained, “so I saw it like this: If I had to be at a fair, I could sell a banana like others sell their paintings.” 

When Comedian isn’t being replaced because of hungry museum guests, the fruit is replaced due to rotting. According to France 24, Cattelan gets to decide when the fruit should be switched out.

Read More About Art: