Banana artwork that fetched $120,000 at Miami Art Basel eaten by 'hungry' artist

All is not lost for the buyer, who, let’s face it, was going to have to deal with the demise of the banana at some point.

The work apparently comes with a certificate of authenticity, and 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, according to The Guardian.

The idea soon lived on, with a fresh banana affixed by Perrotin minutes later.

“This has been interesting,” said Miami Beach police captain Steven Feldman, who was called in to maintain order as the crowd swelled.

The artwork was originally hailed by Perrotin as “a symbol of global trade, a double entendre, as well as a classic device for humour”.

Cattelan – who bought the banana at a local fruit market – is known for his comic pieces, including a fully functional 18-carat gold toilet titled America, which visitors to the Guggenheim were encouraged to use. The toilet was recently stolen from an exhibition in England. In a 1999 piece, Cattelan duct-taped famed Italian gallerist Massimo De Carlo to the walls of his own gallery.