Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
BRITISH STREET ARTIST Banksy has pulled off his latest prank, self-destructing one of his most iconic artworks moments after it fetched more than a million pounds at an auction in London.
Girl with Balloon had just sold at Sotheby’s for £1,042,000 (€1.2 million) – a joint record for the maverick artist – yesterday when it unexpectedly passed through a shredder hidden in the frame, according to the auction house.
“It appears we just got Banksy-ed,” said Alex Branczik, Sotheby’s head of contemporary art for Europe, in a press release accompanied by photos of the bizarre episode.
“The unexpected incident became instant art-world folklore and certainly marks the first time in auction history that a work of art automatically shredded itself after coming under the hammer,” the auctioneers added in the statement.
It is unclear whether Sotheby’s, which could not be immediately reached for further comment today, had prior knowledge of the stunt.
Banksy, a mysterious artist from Bristol, southwest England, rose to fame painting clandestine street murals, typically simple graffiti stencils with a sharp political point, all over the world.
He has also produced a treasure trove of other kinds of images, and his works have sold for hundreds of thousands of pounds in many cases.
The price paid in London yesterday evening matched the artist’s previous record at auction for his Keep It Spotless piece in 2008, Sotheby’s said.
Prior to its shredding, the framed Girl with Balloon — pray paint and acrylic on canvas mounted on board – depicted a girl reaching out toward a bright red, heart-shaped balloon.
It was instantly recognisable as a Banksy to anyone familiar with his work.
The artist posted a photo of the stunt, midway through shredding, on his Instagram page early Saturday, above the caption: “going, going, gone”, imitating an auctioneer.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
You can turn them off?
I have heard it all now. There is a disorder for everything
Pretty dependent on mine, but it’s pretty sad when you look at a group of people in a pub / restaurant and they’re all tapping away in silence together. I’m good at putting it away when I’m with friends / family
Yep, I am totally addicted to mine…it’s always by my side. If I leave the house without it I go straight back home to pick it up… Bit of a worry really!
Yup that’s me !! I panic tbh thought it was unhealthy alright ! Since I was 16 I have slept with my phone next to me !! Lol it sounds crazy when I think about it! I’m more afraid of misplacing my phone than misplacing my friend lol
So have this.
Yeah i know someone like that.. wakes up in the morning and checks email twitter and FB. dont think she checks for texts of phone calls tho.
Shouldn’t it be called iPhobia?
It was inevitable really. We live in the information age where everything and anything can be done ‘via web’.. I’m addicted to mine, but tbh I think that’s an acceptable lifestyle in this day and age.
don’t give a monkeys about my phone, can easily go a day or two without checking it and i use a 5 year old 2g iphone
Well, it’ll probably be starting school in September so at least you’ll have the day to yourself.
Hahaha @David
This disease was rampant up until the end of the last century. Lead people to vandalise public phones (a phone in a glass box at the side of the street) by ripping off the hand set ( the part of the glass box you had to speak into)
You talking about me?
Haha does NOT apply to me at all! I have the most wonderful phone HTC RHYME and I never Ever know where it is and so never hear it ringing and so do not know who called or texted me. I am so bad that sometimes I see Txts only days later lol
Ah jaysus, couldn’t you have put up a picture of an iPhone. What the hell is that yolk
my worse case was the other night my friend got a tx and straight away all I could think was where is my phone, couldnt c it in my sight so spent ages looking for it for no reason…….is there a helpline for us yet???
duh of course its ok unless you’re from the 1920′s
have your say