The Pompidou-Metz filed a criminal complaint after a banana that is central to Maurizio Cattelan's artwork Comedian was discovered missing; the museum has replaced the fruit. The perishable banana is routinely changed every few days, and similar incidents — including a visitor eating the piece last year — have occurred before. The work, which debuted at Art Basel 2019, has drawn repeated public attention and controversy, and the museum said the unidentified nature of the latest perpetrator left "no possibility of dialogue."
Museum Files Theft Complaint After Maurizio Cattelan’s Taped Banana Disappears
Italian visual artist Maurizio Cattelan's conceptual work 'Comedian' has sold for millions (TIMOTHY A. CLARY)(TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/AFP)
The Pompidou-Metz museum in eastern France reported on Sunday that it has filed a criminal complaint after a banana that forms the central element of Maurizio Cattelan's artwork Comedian was found missing. A guard discovered the fruit had been removed on Saturday; the museum said it has already installed a replacement.
The museum, a regional branch of the Pompidou Centre in Paris, said it lodged the complaint for theft against persons unknown because the perpetrator remains unidentified and "there is no possibility of dialogue." Officials framed the episode as a question of respect for the artwork.
Why the Banana Matters
Comedian is a conceptual work whose centerpiece is an actual banana affixed to a wall with tape. Because the fruit is perishable, the museum replaces it routinely — typically every three days — to keep the piece intact and current.
Previous Incidents
This is not the first time the banana has been tampered with. In July of last year a visitor ate the banana on display; guards intervened and a replacement was put in place. At the time, Cattelan quipped that he was disappointed the visitor had eaten the banana but not the tape as well. No legal action was taken after that incident.
Broader Context
Comedian first gained widespread attention at Art Basel Miami Beach in 2019, where it carried an asking price of $120,000. That year performance artist David Datuna ate one version during the show, saying he felt "hungry." The work's market profile has since grown: in 2024 Chinese-born crypto entrepreneur Justin Sun reportedly paid $5.2 million for an iteration and later ate it on camera in Hong Kong.
Cattelan is also known for other provocative works, including an 18-carat functioning gold toilet titled America. That installation was stolen from a 2020 exhibition at an 18th-century stately home and was later dismantled; according to court proceedings, none of the gold was recovered and two men were found guilty in March.
"There is no possibility of dialogue," the museum said of the latest theft, underscoring the difficulty of resolving incidents when the actor is unknown.
The museum's decision to pursue a formal complaint marks a firmer response than in previous episodes, reflecting both the international profile of the work and the practical challenges of conserving art objects that incorporate perishable materials.
Help us improve.
