French Museum Reports Theft of Banana Artwork

A museum in eastern France has reported the theft of a banana that serves as a central element of Maurizio Cattelan’s famous conceptual artwork, Comedian.

The missing banana, attached to a wall with tape as part of the installation, was discovered missing by a security guard on Saturday. The Pompidou-Metz museum, an extension of Paris’s renowned Pompidou Centre, confirmed that it filed a criminal complaint against unknown individuals in connection with the theft.

Museum officials also revealed that the stolen fruit has already been replaced. Because the banana is a perishable component of the artwork, it is routinely changed every three days to preserve the intended presentation.

This is not the first incident involving Comedian. In July of last year, a museum visitor ate the banana before staff quickly installed a replacement. At the time, Cattelan jokingly remarked that he wished the visitor had consumed the tape as well. No legal action was pursued in that case.

The museum said the latest incident was handled differently because the person responsible remains unidentified, leaving “no possibility of dialogue.” Officials added that the repeated interference raises concerns about respect for the artwork.

Since debuting at Art Basel Miami Beach in 2019 with a price tag of $120,000, Comedian has generated global attention and debate over the meaning and value of contemporary art. The work’s profile—and market value—has continued to grow over time.

In 2024, cryptocurrency entrepreneur Justin Sun purchased one version of the artwork for $5.2 million and later ate the banana during a public appearance in Hong Kong.

Beyond Comedian, Cattelan is also known for America, an 18-carat functioning gold toilet that gained international attention and was once offered to Donald Trump during his first presidency. The sculpture was stolen in the United Kingdom in 2020, and although two men were later convicted, the gold was never recovered.