The guy who ate a $120,000 banana in an art museum says he was just hungry
NPR Online NewsMay 15, 2023
The Facts
A South Korean art student has eaten a $120K art installation featuring a banana that was duct-taped to a wall at the Leeum Museum of Art in Seoul— a piece created by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan known as "Comedian" and presented in his "WE" exhibit.
Noh Huyn-soo, a student at Seoul National University, was videotaped eating the banana and told the museum that he was "hungry" when asked why he ate it.
The Spin
Narrative A
It goes without saying that a banana can never be worth $120k, and the art community's blind enthusiasm to accept this piece as "art" goes to show just how far society has fallen since the Renaissance. Art enthusiasts — determined to force a "deeper meaning" on everything — are now unable to perceive the obvious: Cattelan just taped a banana to a wall.
Narrative B
While undoubtedly an unusual piece, art is in the eye of the beholder, and regardless of one's personal opinion, ultimately, this is vandalism. Besides, everyday objects have been readily accepted as artwork since the mid-20th century, and Cattelan's piece is actually a direct challenge to this notion.