Banane aus Cattelan-Kunstwerk gestohlen
A banana from Maurizio Cattelan's artwork "Comedian" was stolen from the Centre Pompidou-Metz over the weekend. A security guard noticed the fruit was missing, and the museum has filed a police report against unknown persons. The banana has since been replaced. The work is part of the exhibition "Dimanche sans fin," running until June 27. This is not the first time the banana has been interfered with: it has been eaten multiple times since its debut in 2019, including by artist David Datuna at Art Basel Miami Beach, a Korean student at the Leeum Museum of Art in Seoul, and entrepreneur Justin Sun after he purchased the work for $5.2 million.
The theft continues the legacy of "Comedian" as a provocative commentary on the value and perception of art. Each act of consumption or removal reinforces Cattelan's original intent to challenge viewers' assumptions about what constitutes art and its monetary worth. The incident also highlights the ongoing public fascination with the piece, which has become a cultural touchstone for debates about conceptual art, authenticity, and the art market.