Attention all art lovers! In this video, we’ll be talking about the strange and hilarious story of a student who ate a piece of artwork worth over $120,000!! That’s right, you heard it correctly. But why would anyone do that? What happened next? And what does it all mean? You’ll have to watch until the end to find out. Trust us, you won’t want to miss this one. 

Have you ever seen a banana duct-taped to a wall and thought, “Wow, this is a work of art!”? Well, some people do! But for others, it’s just a tempting snack. And that’s exactly what happened at the Leeum Museum of Art in Seoul, South Korea when an art student from Seoul National University saw the banana on display, removed it from the wall, and ate it! 

The Artwork 

First, let’s talk about the artwork itself. In 2019, the Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan created a piece titled ‘Comedian,’ which was simply a banana duct-taped to a wall. The artwork quickly became a sensation in the art world and was sold for over $120,000. You might think to yourself, “Hey, I could do that too!” But hold on, this is no ordinary banana. According to a statement from the gallery, Cattelan had been pondering a sculpture in the shape of a banana. To get inspiration for this, he carried a banana with him on his travels and hung it in his hotel room. He created several models of the banana, from resin to bronze, before settling on a real one taped to a wall.  

 Before the sale of “Comedian,” Perrotin, the gallery that represents Cattelan, explained that the bananas are “a symbol of global trade, a double entendre, as well as a classic device for humor,” and that Cattelan turns mundane objects into “vehicles of both delight and critique.”  

Did you know? Maurizio Cattelan, the artist behind the ‘Comedian’ artwork, is known for creating controversial pieces, such as a golden toilet titled ‘America.’! 

The Incident 

Now, let’s fast forward to 2021 in South Korea, where the ‘Comedian’ artwork was being exhibited. A student, known only as Noh Huyn-soo   saw it as more of a snack than a masterpiece. He quickly removed the banana and devoured it, leaving the room in stunned silence. 

 Don’t worry, the museum later replaced the banana with a fresh one. But why would anyone do that? Well According to a museum spokesperson, the student said he ate it because he had no breakfast that morning and felt really hungry! But do you know what’s hilarious?! after the student ate the banana, he taped the peel back onto the wall and walked off with a satisfied grin!! Noh Huyn-soo  later told the broadcaster KBS that he thought “damaging a work of modern art could also be interpreted as artwork” and that he came up with the idea to reattach the peel as “a joke”. 

The Artist’s Reaction 

When Cattelan was informed about his art being eaten, he simply replied “ No Problem”! That reaction could be because it was not the first time it had happened! Yes, You heard it right! In 2019, after the first edition sold for 120000 dollars, performance artist David Datuna plucked the banana on display at the Perrotin gallery at Art Basel in Miami and ate it in front of stunned onlookers.  

He even posted about it on Instagram, saying “I really love this installation. It’s very delicious.” Later, he defended the act, calling it an art performance and not vandalism. 

Conclusion: And that’s the story of the student who ate the Maurizio Cattelan banana art in South Korea.  And next time you spot a banana on display, think twice— it could be a $120,000 masterpiece!