South Korean student eats iconic taped banana art worth RM500k ‘because he was hungry’ (VIDEO)
KUALA LUMPUR, May 2 — Iconic art pieces can be interpreted differently, even making some hungry.
A South Korean student was caught eating the duct-taped banana of a famous artwork off the wall at the Leeum Museum of Art in Seoul.
In a recent Instagram post, the Seoul National University student, Han Seung-hwan, was seen eating the banana before casually taping its skin back on the wall.
The conceptual art piece titled Comedian by artist Maurizio Cattelan was first shown in 2019 and was sold at Art Basel Miami Beach in two editions for RM535,080 on December 2019.
“This is known as the most expensive banana in the world,” Han wrote on Instagram.
“I can't believe I'm eating this. Is it intentional or terrorism?”
“The student told the museum he ate it because he was hungry,” a museum spokesperson told CNN.
“It happened suddenly, so no special action was taken.
“The artist (Cattelan) was informed of the incident but he didn't have any reaction to it.”
The controversial art piece is ‘a symbol of global trade, a double entendre, as well as a classic device for humour’, gallerist Emmanuel Perrotin told CNN in an 2019 interview.
Comedian also has a certificate of authenticity according to Perrotin, with specific instructions to be followed when displaying the piece.
Cattelan is known for his satirical works that comment on pop culture, politics, and the way art is conceptualised.
The art piece is featured as part of Cattelan’s solo exhibition WE which will run at the Leeum Museum of Art until July 16.
