200 Eggplants Vanish: National Gallery Singapore Grapples with Surreal Produce Heist

Eggplants in National Gallery Singapore’s ‘Still Life’—a 200-brinjal wall by Suzann Victor—keep vanishing as visitors pilfer produce faster than gallery staff can post warnings. Trending searches ask: "Why are museum art pieces stolen?" and "What is the purpose of eggplant art?" NGS pleads, “We kindly seek the public’s cooperation in preserving the artwork so everyone can enjoy it in its intended form.”
While staff inspect for missing brinjals, the gallery’s wall-mounted eggplants become Singapore’s latest art caper, sparking searches like "What happens if you touch art in a museum?" and "Why are eggplants used in art installations?" Each glossy fruit is hand-painted, yet gravity—and hungry hands—win: a kinetic, edible sculpture that defeats its own security with slapstick silence.
Gallery signage now competes with disappearing eggplants, as 200 meticulously painted fruits exit the wall one pocket at a time—destined for compost, legend, or someone’s stir fry.