This archive report was first published on 8 December 2019.
On the second-to-last day of the Art Basel exhibition in Miami Beach, a provocative act of performance art unfolded in plain sight of art enthusiasts.
A $120,000 banana, part of a limited-edition series titled 'Comedian' by Maurizio Cattelan, was duct-taped to a wall at the Galerie Perrotin space. However, shortly before 2 p.m. on Saturday, a New York City-based performance artist, David Datuna, peeled the banana from the wall and devoured it, as captured in an Instagram video posted by Mr. Datuna.
Mr. Datuna's bold move sparked a mix of amusement and bewilderment among art patrons, who watched as he was escorted out of the gallery. Despite the unexpected turn of events, a spokeswoman for Galerie Perrotin stated that the gallery was not taking any action against Mr. Datuna, saying, 'It's all in good spirits. Perrotin is not pressing any legal charges.'
Gallery officials replaced the banana with another one, emphasizing that the artwork was not destroyed and that the banana was simply an 'idea.' Mr. Datuna poked fun at the episode in an Instagram post, writing, 'Art performance by me. I love Maurizio Cattelan artwork and I really love this installation. It's very delicious.'
Mr. Datuna's stunt recalled the self-destruction of a $1.4 million painting by the British street artist Banksy at Sotheby's in London in 2018. The banana's invitation to comparisons with Marcel Duchamp's urinal and Jeff Koons's vacuum cleaners raised questions about the nature of art.
