Student Who Ate $120k Banana from Modern Artwork Tells His Story

Last year, a US judge issued a landmark ruling that an artist “cannot copyright duct tape or bananas.” These were the two primary materials used by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan when he taped a banana to a wall, called it art and then was promptly sued by another artist who said he was actually the first to duct tape fruit to a wall.

Later, in a twist no respectable modern art lover could have anticipated, Korean student Noh Hyun-soo visited the exhibit and ate the banana (which is changed in the exhibit every few days anyway by following “meticulous” instructions from the artist). Now Hyun-soo is finally telling his side of the story, which offers the closure to this saga you’ve probably been anxiously waiting for. Apparently, there was no alarm, no one tried to stop him, and the banana tasted just fine.

Why did he do it? Hyun-soo was elusive on that particular question, suggesting in an interview that “it’s up to the public to decide on that.” I suppose if enlightened art patrons believe the original piece was “a work of concept art,” then logic would suggest the student who ate it should probably be considered a conceptual performance artist and be paid $120k as well. Unless he gets sued by someone who has eaten a banana before him, of course.