Recently, someone ate a $6.2 million piece of “art.” The “art” installation in question by Maurizio Cattelan bears the title “Comedian” and consists of a banana duct-taped to the wall. Perhaps the museumgoer who consumed the piece thought it was part of a complimentary snack bar; or maybe they just wanted to point out the absurdity of considering the combination of fruit and an adhesive a work of art.
This isn’t the first time “Comedian” met an untimely fate. Back in 2023, a different visitor to the exhibit ate the banana, explaining that he was “hungry.” In 2024, cryptocurrency entrepreneur Justin Sun purchased a version of “Comedian” and promptly ate the banana. The piece survives the hunger pangs of museumgoers and tech billionaires because, per the artist’s instructions, the banana can be replaced. In fact, it has to be replaced each time it starts to rot. Or each time someone snatches it for a snack.
