The Centre Pompidou-Metz in France filed a lawsuit following the theft of a banana from the famous artwork "The Comedian" by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan. The incident occurred during the "Endless Sunday" exhibition, and the fruit's disappearance was discovered by a museum security officer.

The museum reported that the banana, attached to the wall with duct tape, disappeared on Saturday. Although the fruit is a perishable element of the work and is regularly replaced every three days, the institution's management condemned the incident, emphasizing that such actions undermine respect for works of art and the work of museum spaces.

Following the incident, the banana was quickly replaced with a new one, and the exhibition resumed its normal operations. Museum representatives noted that the work itself was undamaged and remains accessible to visitors.

The work "Comedian" was first exhibited in Miami in 2019 and immediately sparked widespread public response thanks to its concept, which challenges traditional notions of art and its market value. Since then, the installation has repeatedly become the subject of high-profile events and discussions.

In the summer of 2025, a visitor to the Centre Pompidou-Metz attracted public attention when he removed a banana from the wall and ate it. Even earlier, at his debut exhibition in Miami, another artist committed a similar act in protest against the high price of his work.

Interest in "The Comedian" also remains high on the art market. In November 2024, one of the three existing copies of the work was sold at auction for 6,2 million USD to Justin Sun, entrepreneur and founder of the cryptocurrency platform Tron. A few days after the purchase, he also ate a banana at a public event, declaring that "it's much better than other bananas."

The exhibition "Endless Sunday," which currently features the famous installation, will run at the Centre Pompidou-Metz until January 25, 2027.