The infamous duct tape-banana sculpture by Maurizio Cattelan is again in the news, this time as a South Korean student ate it.
The incident occurred on Thursday, though the news was first reported only on Sunday. It happened at the Leeum Museum of Art in Seoul where a show dedicated to Maurizio Cattelan is going on. Reportedly, a person just went up, pulled the banana and ate it, then stuck the peel back on the wall.
The offender was later identified as Noh Huyn-soo, a student. Speaking to The Guardian, Noh said that he had skipped breakfast that day and ate the banana ‘cos he was hungry. However, he also went further rationalizing his act, suggesting that “damaging a work of modern art could also be (interpreted as a kind of) artwork.”
Comedian (2019) has been in controversies ever since it made its debut. Created by Maurizio Cattelan, who is well-known for his humorous and satirical works, the work first appeared at Art Basel Miami Beach. Immediately, it caused controversy as many wondered how something like this – a banana stuck to the wall with duct tape – could be considered art. It was further propelled by the fact that the work carried a price tag of $120,000.
Also Read: Karin Hindsbo Named New Director Of Tate Modern
A bigger incident occurred in the same show when artist David Datuna performed a similar move and ate the banana – an act he later called a performance. Post this, the work was removed from public view. In 2022, Maurizio Cattelan was sued by artist Joe Morford, who claimed that Cattelan had copied the work from Morford’s work from 13 years ago.
