France museum-goer eats million dollar banana taped to wall
After the hungry visitor struck on Saturday last week, "security staff rapidly and calmly intervened," the Pompidou-Metz museum in eastern France said.
The work was "reinstalled within minutes", it added.
"As the fruit is perishable, it is regularly replaced according to instructions from the artist."
Cattelan noted the banana-eater had "confused the fruit for the work of art".
"Instead of eating the banana with its skin and duct tape, the visitor just consumed the fruit," he said.
Cattelan's edible creation has sparked controversy ever since it made its debut at the 2019 Art Basel show in Miami Beach.
He has explained the banana work as a commentary on the art market, which he has criticised in the past for being speculative and failing to help artists.
The New York Post said the asking price of $120,000 for "Comedian" in 2019 was evidence that the market was "bananas" and the art world had "gone mad".
It has been eaten before.
Advertisement
Performance artist David Datuna ate "Comedian" in 2019, saying he felt "hungry" while inspecting it at the Miami show.
Chinese-born crypto founder Justin Sun last year forked out $6.2 million for the work, then ate it in front of cameras.
As well as his banana work, Cattelan is also known for producing an 18-carat, fully functioning gold toilet called "America" that was offered to Donald Trump during his first term in the White House.
A British court in March found two men guilty of stealing it during an exhibition in 2020 in the United Kingdom, from an 18th-century stately home that was the birthplace of wartime prime minister Winston Churchill.
It was split up into parts and none of the gold was ever recovered.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
LeMonde
5 hours ago
- LeMonde
Pope's 'Jubilee of Youth' with over a million attendees closes with Rome mass
Pope Leo XIV presided over a final mass in Rome for over one million young people on Sunday, August 3, the culmination of a youth pilgrimage that has drawn Catholics from across the world. The week-long event ending Sunday, a highlight of the Jubilee holy year, was an enormous undertaking for the Vatican, with a half a million young pilgrims in Rome for most of the week. On Saturday night, before an twilight vigil led by the pope, organizers had confirmed the attendance of 800,000 people in the vast, open-air space on Rome's eastern outskirts. On Sunday, the Vatican said that number had grown to one million people. Most of those attending slept on the ground overnight in tents, in sleeping bags or or mats in anticipation of Sunday's mass. "There is a burning question in our hearts, a need for truth that we cannot ignore, which leads us to ask ourselves: what is true happiness? What is the true meaning of life? What can free us from being trapped in meaninglessness, boredom and mediocrity?" asked the 69-year-old pope in his homily. "Aspire to great things, to holiness, wherever you are. Do not settle for less," Pope Leo told the young people. Upon your return to your countries, Leo told them, "continue to walk joyfully in the footsteps of the Savior, and spread your enthusiasm and the witness of your faith to everyone you meet!" "Have a good trip home!" Catholic 'Woodstock' The colourful event under sunny skies was accompanied by music from a choir, and the presence of about 450 bishops and 700 priests, all in green robes. The massive golden arch that covered the stage was dominated by a massive cross. The young pilgrims – hailing from 146 different countries, according to the Vatican – have filled Rome's streets since Monday, chanting, singing and waving flags of their countries. The festive atmosphere reached its peak Saturday, ahead of an evening vigil presided over by Leo, with Italian broadcaster Rai dubbing it a Catholic "Woodstock." Hundreds of thousands of youths camped out at the dusty venue, strumming guitars or singing, others snoozing, as music blasted from the stage where a series of religious bands entertained the crowds. Leo was greeted with deafening screams and applause after his arrival by helicopter Saturday, as he toured the grounds in his popemobile, with many people running to catch a better glimpse of the new American pope. British student Andy Hewellyn had parked himself in front of a huge video screen – a prime spot, as he could not even see the stage far away. "I'm so happy to be here, even if I'm a bit far from the pope. I knew what to expect!" he told AFP. "The main thing is that we're all together." The youth pilgrimage came about three months after the start of Leo's papacy, and 25 years after former pope John Paul II organised the last such youth gathering in Rome. It was announced by former Pope Francis during World Youth Day in Lisbon in 2023. The Church planned a series of events for the young pilgrims over the course of the week, including turning the Circus Maximus – where chariot races were held in ancient Rome – into an open-air confessional.
LeMonde
20 hours ago
- LeMonde
'In Germany, the punks made music to express themselves': Mark Reeder, an avant-garde night owl
He hosted Nick Cave, organized the only Joy Division concert ever to come to West Berlin, and set up other clandestine shows in East Berlin churches. An Englishman, he stood out due to his iconic British demeanor, all while speaking flawless German. His name was Mark Reeder, and when he looked at you with his wide blue eyes, you knew they had seen a lot. He had haunted Berlin's nightlife in the 1980s, taking in all its sulfur and sounds. He shared these memories one afternoon at Café Zazza, in Berlin's eastern Kreuzberg district. He had arrived wearing a leather coat, the kind you'd see back in the days of the Berlin Wall, and boots he had bought in East Germany in 1987. Music was his passion. At the age when other children sang nursery rhymes, he was listening to "Telstar" by the Tornados. His first 7-inch record. "It's the first techno record," he said. He still had it. Reeder was two years old when Telstar came out in 1960. He lived in Manchester, in the United Kingdom. His father worked at the port, his mother in car insurance. "In the 1970s, the city sank into crisis. It was gray, dirty, grim. Only music saved us." Reeder began to hang out in record stores, befriending a fellow teenager, a record salesman: Ian Curtis, who would go on to become Joy Division's iconic singer. After a stint in advertising, he became a clerk at Manchester's first Virgin record store and became passionate about the pioneers of German electronic music: Klaus Schulze, Kraftwerk, Tangerine Dream, etc. "People didn't want it. For them, only English music mattered." Searching for punks
Euronews
a day ago
- Euronews
Is Oasis coming to mainland Europe for their reunion tour?
When Oasis announced they were getting back together and taking the show on the road, no dates were listed for venues in mainland Europe. Guess fans on the continent just had to roll with it. Liam and Noel Gallagher kicked off their Live '25 Tour in Wales at Cardiff's Principality Stadium last month, and they've brought their long-awaited reunion tour to their hometown of Manchester and most recently London. Next up are shows in Edinburgh and Dublin, as well as stops in North and South America, Australia and Japan. However, there may still be some hope left for fans in mainland EU... The Rome City Councillor for Major Events has claimed that 'negotiations are underway' to bring Oasis' tour to the Italian city – sparking rumours that more dates could follow. Alessandro Onorato said on local radio station Radio Sei that he's making efforts to bring the tour to Italy. 'Organising a large event in Rome is very complicated; in the past, Rome has been the 'city of missed opportunities.'' He continued: 'Oasis in the capital? These are live shows for companies that organise events all over the world, and the financial aspect is crucial. Negotiations are underway.' So, could Oasis be adding some more dates? Don't get too excited just yet, as Onorato's comments come after the Britpop band's manager Alex McKinlay denied that more tour dates were going to be announced. In May, McKinlay told Music Week: 'This is very much the last time around, as Noel's made clear in the press. It's a chance for fans who haven't seen the band to see them, or at least for some of them to.' He added that there would not be any new material from Oasis: 'There's no plan for any new music.' Then came a response from Liam Gallagher, who took to X to contradict McKinlay's comments and reaffirm that only he and his brother call the shots when it comes to Oasis updates. 'The only people that will be making any kind of decisions on the future of OASIS will be ME n RKID (Noel) so let's just take it 1 day at a time.' He later doubled down on his stance, telling another fan who thought 'there must be a degree of truth' to the manager's comments that McKinley is 'the accountant' for the band. So, who knows right now... All mainland European fans have to do is pray to that Champagne Supernova in the sky and stay tuned for any possible extra tour dates. In other Oasis-related news, it was recently announced that the money made from Oasis' shows at Manchester's Heaton Park would be used to help fund grassroots music venues in the city. Indeed, the Manchester city council announced a £250,000 (€287,000) fund for local music venues – a move that comes amid worrying statistics about the UK's live music scene in recent years. Last year, it was shared that only 11 of the 34 grassroots venues that Oasis had previously performed in still remain open, and in 2023, it was revealed that the UK was set to lose more than 10 per cent of its grassroots music venues. The Oasis tour continues. After dates in in the UK and Ireland come stops in North and South America, Asia and Australia - ending (for the moment) in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on 23 November.
