Hungry museum guest eats artist’s viral $6M duct-taped banana… again

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Maurizio Cattelan’s infamous duct-taped banana has been eaten yet again.

On July 12th, a guest at the Centre Pompidou-Metz in France decided to eat the edible part of The Comedian, the controversial artwork that made headlines and ignited discussions worldwide, after it was sold for over $6 million in 2024 and initially shown at Art Basel in 2019.

As stated by the museum, the staff responded promptly and composurely following the incident, swiftly replacing the missing banana in just a few minutes.

The museum mentioned that “[the banana] is simply an item that doesn’t last long,” and further explained that any replacement bananas are guided by specific directions provided by the artist himself.

Viral $6.2M banana eaten by gallery guest

It appears that Cattelan felt let down as the visitor assumed the fruit was the whole artwork, neither eating the peel nor the tape attached to it.

The artwork remains undisturbed and still hangs according to its original plan, with no official complaint or police involvement reported by the gallery.

After buying the ‘duct-taped banana’ for $6.2M, the owner took it down and ate it

— TopMob (@TopMob) November 29, 2024

The Comedian serves as a satire, targeting the ridiculousness surrounding the prediction and commercialization of art, along with the structures that sustain it. It has gained notoriety, with instances such as its previous consumption by artist David Datuna in Miami and a student in Seoul in 2023, becoming viral sensations.

In 2024, cryptocurrency tycoon Justin Sun acquired a banana worth $6.2 million and subsequently consumed it personally.

Centre Pompidou-Metz has announced that the artwork will continue to be shown until the viral exhibition concludes on February 2, 2027, which marks its final day.

“For now,” the museum said, “it is perhaps the most-eaten artwork of the last 30 years.”

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2025-07-22 00:48