Performance artist David Datuna astounded crowds visiting the Art Basel show in Miami Beach on Saturday by grabbing a banana that had been duct-taped to a gallery wall and proceeding to eat it.

The banana was, in fact, a work of art by Italian Maurizio Cattelan entitled "Comedian", which had earlier been sold to a French Collector for $120,000.

Datuna was quickly removed from the exhibition by the gallery's owner, Peggy Leboeuf.

Peggy Leboeuf: "He was not arrested, but we asked him to leave the booth and to leave the fair. We have his contact and everything, so we can go further, but I don't think we will."

A substitute banana taped to the wall 15 minutes later replaced the eaten work, with spectators returning to take photos.