Hey guys, it’s Madison Lee, and today I’m bringing you some wild news from the art world! An art student from Seoul National University recently caused quite the stir when he decided to eat a pricey art installation – and no, I’m not kidding!
The art piece in question is called “Comedian” and was created by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan. It features a banana attached to a wall with duct tape and previously made headlines in 2019 when it sold for a whopping $120,000 at Art Basel Miami Beach. The piece is currently being displayed at the Leeum Museum of Art in Seoul, South Korea.
So, what happened? According to a museum spokesperson, the unnamed student grabbed the banana off the wall, ate it, and then placed the empty peel back under the duct tape. When asked about the incident, the student claimed he was just “hungry” – talk about a snack attack!
Now, I know what you’re thinking – what did the artist say about all of this? Well, surprisingly, Cattelan didn’t have much of a reaction to the incident. The museum informed him of what had happened, but he didn’t seem too bothered by it.
Of course, this isn’t the first time “Comedian” has inspired this reaction. After the first edition of the installation was sold, a performance artist named David Datuna ate the duct-taped fruit while it was on display at the Perrotin Gallery at Art Basel in Miami. Datuna even posted about eating the banana on his Instagram, calling the stunt a “Hungry Artist Art performance.”
It’s worth noting that “Comedian” is part of Cattelan’s solo exhibition at Leeum Museum, which will be on display until July 16. The banana is usually replaced every two to three days and is not for sale.
Now, I don’t know about you guys, but this whole situation just seems so bizarre to me. It’s definitely not something you see every day! But then again, Cattelan is known for his satirical and often provocative art, so I guess we shouldn’t be too surprised by any of this.
Student eats artwork of a banana duct-taped to a museum wall because ‘he was hungry’ https://t.co/jnfnbTR0m3 pic.twitter.com/LzslDSlW0E
— CNN (@CNN) May 2, 2023
