It seems the art world has been shaken up after a painting that had just been sold for $1 million self-destructed right after the sale was finalized. And of course, the man behind the shocking prank is none other than Banksy, the elusive UK graffiti artist. Taking to Instagram, Banksy revealed he'd secretly installed a shredder in the frame of the painting so that the piece would self-destruct the moment it was sold.
Painting Self-Destructs After It Was Sold For $1 Million
Dec 14, 2018
Art. Graffiti artist Banksy is one of the most well-known artists of this time. Known for being elusive and mysterious, the artist also believes that art should be free and therefore uses the walls of public buildings to display his art.
Auction. Yet still, some of his painting continue to get auctioned off. Just recently, one of Banksy’s most popular works, “Girl with Red Balloon”, was auctioned off at Sotheby’s in London.
Bidding. The bidding started at $100,000, eventually making its way up to $1.4 million, which ended up being the selling number. But unfortunately for the buyer, the moment the painting was sold, it began to self-destruct.
Destroyed. The canvas inside the frame make a small beeping noise before it began to scroll down into what appeared to be a paper shredder. Moments later, the painting was entirely destroyed.
Shredded. "It appears we just got Banksy-ed,” said Alex Branczik, the senior director at Sotheby’s, reports the Washington Post. "[This is] the first time in auction history that a work of art automatically shredded itself after coming under the hammer,” he continued.
Stunt. Many people speculated that Sotheby’s was in on the stunt, but Branczik maintains they were not. It’s unclear whether or not the person who purchased the painting will still have to pay.
Auction. “We are busy figuring out what this means in an auction context. The shredding is now part of the integral art work. We have not experienced a situation where a painting has spontaneously shredded, upon achieving a record for the artist,” said Branczik.
Fate. Some people believe that the painting may now be worth more because of the stunt. For now however, the fate of the art remains uncertain.
Value. “You could argue that the work is now more valuable. It’s certainly the first piece to be spontaneously shredded as an auction ends,” continued Branczik.
Video. Shortly after the incident, Banksy himself took to Instagram, his only social media platform, to post a video of himself creating the frame that contained a hidden paper shredder in it.
Shredder. “A few years ago I secretly built a shredder into a painting, in case it was ever put up for auction …” he wrote before the clip showed him inserting the blades in the frame the painting came in.
Identity. Although Banksy’s identity has never been confirmed, witnesses say they saw a man in a hat and glasses leaving the auction shortly after the painting was destroyed. It is believed Banksy attended the auction to press the button himself.
Critic. Banksy has been known to turn his art into critiques about commercialism and politics. He is also a critic when it comes to graffiti art and believes it shouldn’t belong to anyone.
Sale. “Graffiti art has a hard enough life as it is, before you add hedge-fund managers wanting to chop it out and hang it over the fireplace. For the sake of keeping all street art where it belongs, I’d encourage people not to buy anything by anybody, unless it was created for sale in the first place,” he told the New York Times.
Stunt. Banksy’s stunt has since inspired another fellow Banksy-art owner to shred his own piece, thinking it would double in worth. Unfortunately, it seemed to have backfired on him as the artwork is now worthless.
