Moment intruder peels $120,000 BANANA off art gallery wall and eats it - but artist says it's no skin off his nose and simply replaces it


A banana duct-taped to a wall was sold for $120,000 at Art Basel Miami

Artist eats $120,000 banana artwork

BBC News

An artwork of an overripe banana duct-taped to a wall that sold for $120,000 (£91,000) has been eaten by a separate performance artist.

The artwork, titled Comedian, by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan, was on display at the international gallery Perrotin at Art Basel in Miami.

Three buyers bought the limited-edition pieces of the banana art this week.

But performance artist David Datuna pulled it from the wall, peeled it and devoured it on Saturday.

"Art performance by me. I love Maurizio Cattelan artwork and I really love this installation. It's very delicious," Mr Datuna posted on Instagram.

Image copyright Getty ImagesImage caption A banana is eaten by a selfie-taker (not THE banana)

Despite the initial anger of a member of staff, the banana was swiftly replaced and no further action will be taken.

The art reportedly comes with a certificate of authenticity, meaning owners can replace the banana.

"[Datuna] did not destroy the art work. The banana is the idea," Lucien Terras, a director at the gallery, told the Miami Herald.

Police were later deployed to guard the replacement banana.

Art Basel is one of the world's most high-profile contemporary art fairs.

You might also be interested in:

Maurizio Cattelan caught world headlines earlier this year when his solid gold toilet artwork was stolen from Blenheim Palace in southern England.



Artist sells banana duct-taped to wall for $120,000 at Art Basel in Miami Beach

Banana duct-taped to wall art installation sells for $120k in Miami

تم بيع هذه الموزة الملصقة بالحائط مقابل 120,000 دولار في معرض للفنون في ميامي يوم أمس.
Duct-taped banana work selling for $120,000 at Art Basel Miami

Um artista colocou uma banana na parede e a vendeu por US $ 120000

A banana, duct-taped to a wall went on a sale at Art Basel Miami Beach this week -- priced at $120,000. And, according to art market website Artnet, two of the three editions have already sold, with the last now going for $150,000.

The work, by Maurizio Cattelan , was presented Wednesday by Perrotin, a contemporary art gallery founded in Paris that has had a long association with the Italian artist.

It is Cattelan's first contribution to an art fair in 15 years, the gallery said.


An artist put a banana on the wall and sold it for $ 120000

An artist put a banana on the wall and sold it for $ 120000

свернуть