Centre Pompidou-Metz banana stolen from Comedian

Centre Pompidou-Metz said on Sunday that a banana was stolen from Maurizio Cattelan’s “Comedian” on Saturday afternoon, prompting the museum to file a criminal complaint and replace the fruit the same day. The work, one of contemporary art’s most recognizable conceptual pieces, consists of a fresh banana affixed to a wall with tape and is currently on display in the exhibition “Endless Sunday – Maurizio Cattelan and the Centre Pompidou Collection.” Museum officials said the missing item was the installation’s perishable component rather than the source of the work’s value. The piece was restored “as quickly as possible,” according to the museum. ### Which part of the artwork was actually stolen? The museum said the stolen banana was “the perishable element of the work,” and added that no irreversible damage had been observed. In its statement, cited by The Art Newspaper, Centre Pompidou-Metz said the value of “Comedian” lies in its certificate of authenticity and the protocol governing its presentation, not in the fruit itself. (theartnewspaper.com) Agence France-Presse, carried by other outlets, reported that a security guard noticed on Saturday that the banana had gone missing. The museum then lodged a complaint against unknown persons and replaced the fruit. ### Why could the museum restore it so quickly? “Comedian” is designed to be reinstalled, and the banana is routinely replaced under the work’s presentation protocol. (theartnewspaper.com) AFP reported that the banana centerpiece is changed every three days to keep the work current, which helps explain why staff were able to restore the display immediately after the theft. (gmanetwork.com) The museum’s broader exhibition framing also emphasizes change over permanence. On its press page for “Endless Sunday,” Centre Pompidou-Metz describes the show as an “evolving experience” with “new arrivals, disappearances and reversals” through its scheduled close in early 2027. ### Has this happened to “Comedian” before? In July 2025, a visitor at the same museum ate the banana from the installation, and guards quickly put up a replacement, AFP reported. (gmanetwork.com) The museum did not pursue legal action in that case because the visitor was identified, and AFP said the institution later explained that this time it filed a criminal complaint because the perpetrator was unknown and there was “no possibility of dialogue.” (centrepompidou.fr) The work has also been consumed in other settings. The Art Newspaper said performance artist David Datuna ate the banana at Art Basel Miami Beach in 2019, the year the work debuted, and another visitor ate it during a 2023 showing in Seoul. ### Why does a taped banana keep drawing this much attention? (gmanetwork.com) Maurizio Cattelan told The Art Newspaper in 2021 that “Comedian” was “not a joke” but “a sincere commentary and a reflection on what we value.” In the same interview, he said he conceived it within the logic of the art fair system, where “speed and business reign.” (theartnewspaper.com) The market history has helped keep the work in public view. AFP reported that crypto entrepreneur Justin Sun bought one edition for $6.2 million in 2024 and then ate the banana on camera in Hong Kong days later. At its 2019 debut at Art Basel Miami Beach, AFP said, the work had an asking price of $120,000. ### Where can people still see the work? (theartnewspaper.com) “Comedian” remains part of “Endless Sunday” at Centre Pompidou-Metz in eastern France. The museum’s press materials say the exhibition opened on May 8, 2025 and runs into 2027, while The Art Newspaper lists the current display of the Cattelan show through January 25, 2027. Centre Pompidou-Metz said the installation had already been restored after Saturday’s theft, and the museum has filed its complaint with authorities while the perpetrator remains unidentified. (gmanetwork.com) (theartnewspaper.com) (centrepompidou.fr)