It\u2019s bananas!<\/p>\n
A popular and pricey piece of art has been eaten \u2014 yet again.<\/p>\n
The artwork titled \u201cComedian\u201d has been eaten for the fourth time. AFP via Getty Images<\/p>\n
Maurizio Cattelan\u2019s \u201cComedian\u201d \u2014 which features a real banana duct taped to a wall \u2014 has been replicated by the artist several times, most recently fetching a phenomenal $6.2 million at auction at Sotheby\u2019s in New York City.<\/p>\n
Apparently, hungry art appreciators can\u2019t peel themselves away.<\/p>\n
A version of the weird work that has been on display at the Centre-Pompidou Metz in France since early May was gobbled up by a visitor on July 12, according to a statement from the museum.<\/p>\n
However, both the gallery and artist seemed unbothered. <\/p>\n
\u201cThe security team acted quickly and calmly,\u201d the gallery said in the statement.<\/p>\n
A fresh banana was taped to the wall a few minutes later. The gallery noted that the fruit is \u201conly a perishable element\u201d of the artwork \u2014 to be replaced regularly as per Cattelan\u2019s instructions.<\/p>\n
The piece has been replicated by the artist several times and most recently fetched a phenomenal $6.2 million at auction at Sotheby\u2019s in New York City. AFP via Getty Images<\/p>\n
The artist wasn\u2019t necessarily upset that the banana was eaten; he reportedly was more disappointed that the gallery-goer \u201cconfused the fruit for the work of art\u201d and left the peel and tape untasted.<\/p>\n
The conceptual comestible,\u00a0which first debuted at Art Basel Miami Beach in 2019<\/a>, has been said to offer a commentary on the ridiculousness of the art world, with its meaning tied to the money and fanfare it attracts \u2014 with many articles written about the edible effort<\/a> since it was unveiled.<\/p>\n \u201cIn that way, the work becomes self-reflexive: The higher the price, the more it reinforces its original concept,\u201d Cattelan told the New York Times<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cComedian\u201d has peeled back the pretensions of the creative industry, with Sotheby\u2019s saying it has \u201csingle-handedly prompted the world to reconsider how we define art, and the value we seek in it.\u201d <\/p>\n Cattelan previously garnered attention for creating a working 18-carat-gold toilet worth $3.5 million<\/a>\u00a0called \u201cAmerica,\u201d intended to poke fun at the US for its excessive wealth. <\/a><\/p>\n The original \u201cComedian\u201d banana was eaten by performance artist David Datuna during the piece\u2019s Miami debut \u2014\u00a0describing the act as a performance piece titled \u201cHungry Artist.\u201d<\/p>\n The stunt attracted a whole bunch of attention and became one of the art world\u2019s biggest viral moments.<\/p>\n The work sold \u2014 with replacement banana \u2014for $120,000 at the fair.<\/p>\n A version of the art piece that has been on display at the Centre-Pompidou Metz in eastern France since early May was eaten by a visitor on July 12, according to a statement from the museum. Stefano Giovannini<\/p>\n Over the years, the artwork has garnered global headlines and even appeared on the cover of The Post<\/a>.<\/p>\n