Video: Man eats $120,000 banana 'art work' that was duct-taped to a wall

Add a new one to your "only in Florida" list.

Remember the $120,000 banana duct-taped to a wall that we told you about yesterday? Well, someone literally ate it.

According to the Miami Herald, on Saturday afternoon, performance artist David Datuna walked into the exhibit where the world-famous duct-taped banana was being displayed, grabbed it off the wall, and ate it.

In a video, Datuna can be seen removing the ripe banana from the exhibit, peeling it, and calling himself a "hungry artist" before consuming it. "With respect Mauricio," he is seen telling Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan who created the "art," while adding "But it's art performance. Hungry artist" as he devoured the fruit.

The original duct-taped banana came with a certificate of authenticity and owners were told that they could replace it as needed.

'The banana is the idea'

Although the banana has now been consumed, a representative of the gallery argues this does not diminish the value of the $120,000 piece of art.

"He did not destroy the art work. The banana is the idea," said Lucien Terras, director of museum relations for Galerie Perrotin, where the six-figure banana, titled "Comedian," was hosted.

Visitors at the gallery were confused when they saw Datuna eat the banana, the Herald reported.

According to Peggy Leboeuf, a partner at Perrotin Gallery, a startled, and bemused, a woman in the crowd thought the original artist — Cattelan — was eating his own banana off the wall. But that wasn't the case. When she saw Datuna eating the banana, which still had some duct tape on it, she asked him what he was doing.

Datuna allegedly responded he was a performance artist. "But you're not supposed to touch the art!" Leboeuf told Datuna.

A "borrowed banana" was re-adhered to the wall shortly after Datuna consumed the original.

Security was called, but the banana-eater was not arrested

Following Datuna's consumption of the banana, security was called to the scene and the performance artist was escorted out of the gallery. The artist can be seen leaving the facility at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday in a video shared on Twitter.

"This has been interesting," Miami Beach police Capt. Steven Feldman told the Herald, which had asked him if he had ever seen someone destroy artwork at Art Basel. "Not that I can remember," Feldman responded.

"The gallery is OK with people taking pictures of the banana. It is a delicate balancing act. We just want to make sure the area is secure," the police captain added.

Art Basel is considered by many to be the hemisphere's top art festival and attracts thousands of visitors and celebrities from around the world. It is held annually in three locations: Basel, Hong Kong, and Miami Beach.