$6.2 million 'banana' from bizarre artwork stolen again, criminal lawsuit filed

The masterpiece "Comedian" by Italian visual artist Maurizio Cattelan was stolen over the weekend from the Centre Pompidou-Metz museum in France. However, it was replaced quickly, thanks to the humble banana that actually makes up the artwork. The crescent-shaped centrepiece of "Comedian" is worth a whopping $6.2 million, meaning the thieves landed a pretty sweet deal. The banana stuck with a silver duct tape is the attraction of Cattelan's work. A guard for the Centre Pompidou-Metz noticed the banana was missing on Saturday. The museum officials informed the police, and a criminal lawsuit was filed. The "Comedian" debuted in December 2019 at Art Basel in Miami Beach, Florida, where it sold for $120,000, triggering shock and awe in the art world. Cattelan had bought the fruit for a mere 35 cents from a 74-year-old vendor outside Sotheby's.

Every time someone ate the banana from Comedian

The banana has been replaced multiple times since then, some of which made headlines. A year ago, a visitor was found eating the banana, saying he was hungry. Cattelan said he was disappointed that he did not eat all of it. "Instead of eating the banana with its skin and duct tape, the visitor just consumed the fruit," he said. Performance artist David Datuna ate "Comedian" in 2019, giving the same reason of being "hungry" while inspecting it at the Miami show. South Korean student, Noh Hyun-soo, also removed it and gobbled it up when it was on display at Seoul’s Leeum Museum of Art. Chinese-born crypto founder Justin Sun bought the artwork for $6.2 million in 2024 and then ate it in front of cameras.

Also Read: A 35-cent banana was sold for $6.2mn. The artist didn't even offer to help the poor vendor

The banana is routinely replaced since it is perishable. Cattelan says that his artwork is a commentary on the art market. He has criticised it in the past for being speculative and failing to help artists. Cattelan is also known for producing an 18-carat, fully functioning gold toilet called "America" that was offered to Donald Trump during his first term in the White House.