Art Student Eats Banana from Maurizio Cattelan’s Installation in South Korea

A South Korean art student named Noh Huyn-soo recently gained attention for eating a banana that was part of Maurizio Cattelan’s “Comedian” art installation displayed at the Leeum Museum of Art in Seoul.

The installation is part of Cattelan’s “WE” exhibition, and the incident humorously mirrors a previous event in 2019 when another artist ate a banana from a similar installation.

In a video that has gone viral, Noh is seen eating the banana with a sly grin, then casually taping the peel back to the wall, even posing for a moment.

Local media reported that the museum replaced the banana and would not press charges against Noh, as the installation’s bananas are typically replaced every two or three days.

Noh told local media outlet KBS that damaging an artwork could also be considered an art form, adding a layer of rebellion to Cattelan’s work, which he believed represented insurrection against authority. He pondered whether the artwork was not there for consumption.

When informed about the incident, Cattelan responded calmly, stating there was “absolutely nothing to worry about.”

The reaction is not surprising, as the artist experienced a similar event in 2019 when David Datuna, a performance artist, ate a banana from his installation during Art Basel in Miami Beach. That particular installation had been sold for $120,000 to a French collector.