There are art heists, and then there is this: someone swiping a banana taped to a wall. It may sound like a joke, but a French museum just lost the centerpiece of Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan's famous artwork Comedian, which is nothing more than a banana attached to a wall with silver duct tape. The internet is spinning into chaos, and nobody can figure out if this story is supposed to be performance art, true crime, or an absurdist sitcom.
The Theft at Centre Pompidou-Metz
The theft happened at Centre Pompidou-Metz in France. Staff realized the banana had vanished, filed a police report, and started investigating. The wildest part? The museum replaced the missing banana almost instantly, without any drama. Yes, that is actually in the official instructions for how to care for the artwork. So, what is it about this wildly popular, multimillion-dollar artwork that keeps attracting such hilarious activities and attention? Let us unpack.
What Is Maurizio Cattelan's 'Comedian'?
Created by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan in 2019, Comedian is a conceptual artwork that consists of an ordinary fresh banana duct-taped to a wall. It first debuted at Art Basel Miami Beach and went viral in almost no time. The core concept behind the artwork is to critique and satirize the art market's obsession with spectacle and commodification. The banana itself is not actually the art. What collectors buy is a certificate of authenticity paired with a 14-page booklet of strict installation instructions. The concept is the art; the banana is just a very temporary stand-in.
The Journey of 'Comedian' So Far
Even though it looks like something you could whip up before a college art project, Comedian has made waves worldwide. When it debuted at Art Basel Miami Beach, editions sold for $120,000. In 2024, one version sold for over $6.2 million after fees at Sotheby's. Clearly, the art market works in mysterious ways. The latest theft has only made the artwork more famous, ridiculous but more popular nevertheless. The internet went bananas, and social media had a field day with it, exploding in memes and jokes. Many wondered if the thief was just hungry, desperate for art, or wanted the world's priciest fruit salad. One internet user summed up the mood: "Imagine explaining to your cellmate that you are in prison for stealing a million-dollar banana." However, some pointed out that stealing the banana does not get you the value; the money is in the certificate, not the fruit.
Eaten at Least Four Times, and Now Stolen
This is not the first time the banana has been eaten or stolen. In December 2019, during its debut at Art Basel Miami, performance artist David Datuna pulled it from the wall and ate it, calling his own performance "Hungry Artist," an exhibit on the socio-economic scenario of artists. The museum replaced the banana, no big deal. In April 2023, a student at the Leeum Museum in Seoul did the same because he skipped breakfast, taping the peel back up. In November 2024, crypto entrepreneur Justin Sun purchased the $6.24 million artwork at auction and subsequently ate the banana on camera. Then, in July 2025, someone ate the banana at Pompidou-Metz. Again, the artwork survived; just slap another banana on the wall. Turns out, it is probably the only multimillion-dollar artwork threatened mostly by mild hunger.
What Happens After the Banana Vanishes?
The multimillion-dollar artwork has been eaten at least four times, and now it has vanished again. The museum is not worried, though. The banana always gets replaced after a few days because, naturally, it rots. Curators say the "perishable element" disappearing does not matter; that is normal in conceptual art. But every time this happens, the public asks: How can a banana taped to a wall possibly be worth millions? According to art experts, it is not about the fruit. It is a comment on value, consumer culture, scarcity, spectacle, and the art market. Comedian is like a giant social experiment: if people laugh, argue, photograph, steal, eat, or post about it, the artwork is doing what it was meant to. Some buy that delicious idea; others think it is ridiculous. And that is why Comedian keeps coming back to the headlines year after year, even after vanishing.
