IN a bizarre incident that has caught the attention of the art world, a South Korean student took a bite out of an installation at the Leeum Museum of Art in Seoul, leaving onlookers stunned and amused.
According to BBC, the artwork in question was a banana duct-taped to a wall, part of artist Maurizio Cattelan's exhibition "WE".
The piece, titled "Comedian", had been attracting a lot of attention, with visitors lining up to take a look. But one student, Noh Huyn-soo, took things to the next level by actually eating the banana, citing hunger as his reason.
But that's not all - Noh didn't stop at just eating the banana. He then taped the peel back to the wall, creating a strange and surreal addition to the installation.
The incident was captured on video by Noh's friend and has since gone viral, with social media users debating the meaning behind the bizarre act.
Local media reports suggest that the museum will not be taking any legal action against the student. The banana in question is reportedly replaced every few days, so the artwork will continue to exist in some form or another.
This isn't the first time that Cattelan's work involving bananas has caused controversy.
In 2019, another piece featuring a banana duct-taped to a wall sold for $120,000 at Art Basel in Miami, only to be eaten by performance artist David Datuna.
Despite the strange and unexpected turn of events, Cattelan himself seems unfazed by the incident, telling the BBC that it was "no problem at all".
As for Noh, he saw his act as a form of rebellion against authority, and has sparked an interesting debate about the role of art and the boundaries of creativity.
Melissa Fernando
Wed May 03 2023
The artwork in question was a banana duct-taped to a wall, part of artist Maurizio Cattelan's exhibition "WE", titled "Comedian". - TWITTER/MeritoverEquity
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