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Home / Lifestyle

Performance artist devours $187,000 banana at Miami beach gallery

Daily Telegraph UK
8 Dec, 2019 06:40 PM2 mins to read

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A banana that had fetched 187,000 was eaten by another artist in front of an audience of gallery visitors. Photo / 123rf

A banana that had fetched 187,000 was eaten by another artist in front of an audience of gallery visitors. Photo / 123rf

Art is said to be in the eye of the beholder, but in the case of David Datuna, it moved rather rapidly from his mouth to his stomach.

The object in question was a banana, taped to a wall at a gallery in Miami by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan, whose previous creations include the 18-carat gold lavatory which was ripped out of Blenheim Palace in September.

Datuna ate the banana in front of a crowd of gallery visitors. Photo / Instagram
Datuna ate the banana in front of a crowd of gallery visitors. Photo / Instagram

This was no ordinary banana, but part of an artwork which had already been sold for US$120,000 ($187,011).

View this post on Instagram

“Hungry Artist” Art performance by me 🙂 I love Maurizio Cattelan artwork and I really love this installation It’s very delicious 🙂 #artbasel #artbaselmiamibeach #daviddatuna #Eatingabanana #Mauriziocattelan #Hungryartist @kiwi.artsgroup

A post shared by David Datuna (@david_datuna) on Dec 7, 2019 at 11:38am PST

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This banana symbolised global trade, according to Emmanuel Perrotin, the founder of Art Gallery Basel, which hosted the exhibition. It was just another example of how Cattelan turned everyday items into "vehicles of both delight and critique."

However, David Datuna, a New York-based artist of some distinction in his own right, decided to enhance the experience by eating the banana in front of an audience of gallery visitors.

"Art performance. Hungry artist," he said as he munched the banana which, it has to be said, was turning brown.

This was not an act of artistic vandalism, he said, insisting it was a gesture of respect.

His performance was captured for posterity by a crowd which had grown to over 20 by the time the banana had been devoured.

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New York artist David Datuna said eating the artwork was "a gesture of respect". Photo / Instagram
New York artist David Datuna said eating the artwork was "a gesture of respect". Photo / Instagram

Peggy Leboeuf, the gallery director, was not amused by the unauthorised improvisation by Mr Datuna, whose portrait of Vladimir Putin, constructed from miniature images of the Mona Lisa, fetched US$269,000 in 2011.

"He was not arrested. But we asked him to leave the booth and leave the fair.

"We have his contact and everything. We can go further, but I don't think we will."

The installation was removed on Sunday.

Discover more

Lifestyle

A (grudging) defence of the $187,000 banana

09 Dec 08:03 PM

All is not lost, however. The piece, entitled "Comedian" has retained its value thanks to a certificate of authenticity and the owner is free to replace the banana - and duct tape.

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