The famous banana artwork by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan has been a subject of fascination and amusement for many. However, for one South Korean student, it seemed like an enticing meal. Recently, an art student from Seoul National University took the displayed banana off the wall and casually devoured it. Called 'Comedian', the artwork is part of Cattelan's exhibition 'WE' and comprises a ripe banana duct-taped to a wall at Seoul's Leeum Museum of Art. The artwork caused quite a stir in the art world when it was displayed at Art Basel Miami in 2019, with some critics calling it a genius commentary on consumerism and others deriding it as a gimmick. At the Basel, the artwork was sold for $120,000. Two additional editions of the artwork were created, and those also sold for the same price. After eating the banana, the student, Noh Huyn-soo, taped the peel back onto the wall which was later replaced by the museum with a fresh banana. "The student told the museum he ate it because he was hungry," a museum spokesperson told CNN. "It happened suddenly, so no special action was taken. The artist (Cattelan) was informed of the incident but he didn't have any reaction to it." The video of the incident, recorded by Noh's friend, shows fellow visitors shouting "Excuse me" as Noh proceeds to take the banana off the wall and eat it. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Seung Hwan, Han (@shwan.han) He later told local media that he saw the artist's work as a rebellion again a certain authority. "There could be another rebellion against the rebellion. Damaging an artwork could also be seen as an artwork, I thought that would be interesting. Isn't it taped there to be eaten?" he was quoted as saying by KBS News. When Cattelan was informed about the incident, he replied, "No problem at all," according to BBC. Reportedly, the banana gets replaced every two to three days. This, however, wasn't the first time that the banana from this controversial artwork was eaten by a visitor. After the first edition of 'Comedian' was sold in 2019, performance artist David Datuna took it from the display at the Perrotin Gallery at Art Basel in Miami and ate it, much to the shock of the onlookers. "I love Maurizio Cattelan's artwork and I really love this installation. It’s very delicious," he wrote on Instagram. View this post on Instagram A post shared by David Datuna (@david_datuna) 📣 For more lifestyle news, follow us on Instagram | Twitter | Facebook and don't miss out on the latest updates!
