A performance artist, treated himself to a $120,00 banana on Saturday.
After Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan’s duct-taped banana work went viral last week, a man came along and ate the real-life $120,000 banana stuck to the wall at Art Basel in Miami.
The New York City gallery that purchased the work will not receive it in original condition, as it was consumed by another artist, New York performance artist David Datuna, Saturday afternoon, according to the Daily Caller.
The really, really, really, really expensive banana at #ArtBasel was eaten this afternoon by a New York artist (Vid: David_Datuna) pic.twitter.com/90mUhktyqd
— Joel Franco (@OfficialJoelF) December 8, 2019
“Art performance, hungry artist,” Datuna said as he untaped the banana from the wall. “With respect Maurizio,” he added .
As he was finishing his snack, watched by shocked onlookers, Datuna was approached by a gallery administrator who requested that he sit down with her for a short conversation. “This is so stupid… Let’s sit, I’ll take your name and we’ll do everything we have to do,” she is heard saying in a video on Datuna’s Instagram.
Although Datuna was escorted out of the gallery, he told TMZ that he was not placed under arrest, but does acknowledge the possibility that charges may be filed at a later date.
Fortunately for Perrotin, the gallery that recently bought the display, the banana itself is irrelevant. “He [Datuana] did not destroy the art work. The banana is the idea,” a Perrotin spokesperson told the Miami Herald.
Perrotin never intended to keep the same banana forever, and knew he was only purchasing a certificate of authenticity that would remain while the fruit is changed as needed, TMZ reported.
A replacement banana has already been installed, according to TMZ.