‘Now, this is performance’: Banana art installation worth $1.2 lakh gets eaten

Videos of David Datuna simply taking the fruit off the wall and eating it in front of several shocked art enthusiasts is doing the rounds on the internet.

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The video shows the man saying, “Art performance, hungry artist,” as he takes a bite of the installation.

An art installation, which featured a banana taped to a wall with duct tape and was sold for $120,000 (over Rs 85 lakh), made headlines all over again after a man walked into the gallery, pulled it off the wall, and ate it in full public view.

The installation by artist Maurizio Cattelan titled ‘Comedian’ was on display at Miami’s Art Basel when New York-based David Datuna, who is a Georgian-born American artist, ate it.

The video of the incident was posted by multiple people, including Datuna himself. Terming the eating of the banana as performance artwork titled ‘Hungry artist’, Datuna walked into the gallery and took a bit of the banana after saying “Art performance, hungry artist.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by David Datuna (@david_datuna)

In another video, the artist can be seen escorted by the gallery officials and security, presumably for questioning.

He was then escorted out of the venue.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by David Datuna (@david_datuna)

“He did not destroy the art work. The banana is the idea,” Lucien Terras, director of museum relations for Galerie Perrotin, told the Miami Herald. The banana was meant to be replaced and a new one was taped to the wall 15 minutes after Datuna’s act. The director of the gallery said that there was no action planned against Datuna.

Incidentally, on Sunday, the wall displaying the banana was vandalised again with a man who wrote ‘Epstein didn’t kill himself’ with red lipstick. He was detained on charges of criminal mischief, reported the Miami Herald.

This guy decided to write on the banana wall LOL 😅🤦🏻‍♀️ #ArtBasel @OfficialJoelF pic.twitter.com/jjWDyugNuv

— sacha-stephanie (@sachasteph_) December 8, 2019

The incident soon went viral on the internet and people responded with memes and jokes. Here are some of the reactions:

There are more bananas and lots of duct tape.
The guy is a hero.

— King of Swing (@WildBillSwing1) December 8, 2019

I wonder how a $120,000 banana tastes.

— ⚜️Rob Anderson for Louisiana (@RobAnderson2018) December 8, 2019

pic.twitter.com/DlZKfh93EB

— JoshCorpuz (@JoshCorpuz85) December 8, 2019

Now this is art.

— Eric (@Globalcitizn1) December 8, 2019

I think that eating that banana was way more art than taping the thing into a wall
I mean, it’s what Ai Weiwei does with ancient art as well

— Carlos • COMMS OPEN (@Carlos_RSL) December 7, 2019

Oh no how will they ever replace a banana and some duct tape

— shorewife listing 30 degrees (@Shorewife) December 8, 2019

Best display at the entire exhibit… The only thing in the place that I’d pay a full $.50 for. It’s not art… it’s just a snack held in a convenient location.

— Understatement Nation (@LordUndrsttmnt) December 8, 2019

If that banana taped to a wall was art, then surely this guy eating it was art too

— Jim-panzee (@jmgallo) December 8, 2019

If a banana taped to a wall is now art, we are all in trouble. The performance piece of eating the banana was far more entertaining.

— ExpendabLegos (@ExpendabLegos) December 8, 2019

Best thing I have seen in a long time. Should have happened the second it sold like banksey. If you have 120k to blow on a banana and Duct tape and are not using it to help others, then you deserve this. It’s an obnoxious display of wealth when people are starving.

— On A Bender (@on_bender) December 8, 2019