While visiting the Leeum Museum of Art in Seoul, South Korea, one hungry student noticed a banana taped on the wall and decided to eat it. As it turned out, it was the most expensive snack ever since the student actually devoured Maurizio Cattelan’s artwork “Comedian,” worth $120,000.
In a video shared by KBS News, student, later identified as Noh Huyn-soo, can be seen taking the banana off the wall, peeling it off, and devouring it. He later tapes the banana peel back on the wall.
When asked by the museum staff why he ate the banana, Noh Huyn-soo responded that he was just hungry. There were no consequences for his actions, as the museum simply replaced the eaten banana with a new one.
“It happened suddenly, so no special action was taken,” a museum spokesperson said. “The artist was informed of the incident, but he didn’t have any reaction to it.”
Cattelan created “Comedian,” a fresh banana fixed on a wall with duct tape, in 2019. There are three editions of the artwork, with two selling for $120,000 each at Art Basel Miami Beach. The buyers receive a certificate of authenticity and instructions on how to display it.
The artwork was actually eaten once before. Artist David Datuna ate the “Comedian” while it was displayed at Art Basel Miami Beach as part of an art performance.
