Melbourne’s Big Banana Assaulted

A surprisingly divisive 1.8-meter sculpture of an anthropomorphized peeled banana, installed on Rose Street in suburban Fitzroy, Melbourne, was attacked on November 25 by an unknown vandal, who attempted to hack it in half. Titled Fallen Fruit (2021), the big skull-faced banana by artist Adam Stone was commissioned by the local government for AUD 22,000 (USD 15,500) as part of its Transport and Accident Commission grant for improving road safety in the area. While the motivation for its defacing remains unclear, the grimacing plantain’s hefty price tag had split opinion since its unpeeling on November 8, with some arguing that it is a waste of public funds. Fallen Fruit is part of Stone’s banana-based series about hubris, excess, and overconsumption. As he set out to fix the damages, Stone told local media that he was surprised and upset “to see the work dramatically vandalized.” Victoria police are searching for the culprit and released images of the anti-banana suspect sawing the sculpture.

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