ARIS - A self-proclaimed performance artist who attacked a urinal symbolic of the anarchic Dada movement with a hammer had his three-month suspended sentence upheld by a French court Friday.

Known as "Fountain" and first exhibited by surrealist artist Marcel Duchamp in 1917, the ceramic urinal was slightly cracked by Pierre Pinoncelli's attack in January 2006.

"It was a nod to Dadaism, I wanted to pay homage to the spirit of Dada," said Pinoncelli, 78, who complained about the "non-recognition of his artistic act."

Pinoncelli, who also attacked the urinal in 1993, was put on probation for two years and ordered to pay 14,352 euros ($18,640) to repair the work which was exhibited in Paris's Pompidou Center.

One of the central figures of the early 20th century Dadaist movement, Duchamp created eight versions of the urinal which was voted the most influential art work of the last century in one survey of art experts.