An artwork by Banksy shredded itself after selling for $1.3M at Sotheby’s
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Re: An artwork by Banksy shredded itself after selling for $1.3M at Sotheby’s
#2> Banksy’s iconic Girl With Balloon (2006) attracted feverish bidding in the room and on the phones, racing past its high estimate of £300,000 to hammer at £860,000, or just over £1 million ($1.3 million with fees). As the gavel slammed, a siren rang out through the salesroom and everyone stood stunned as the Banksy canvas slid through the frame that it was contained in and emerged underneath—but shredded.
I'm impressed by whatever engineering went into the power source for that shredder lasting since 2006 while still being remotely triggerable with perfect timing.
Re: An artwork by Banksy shredded itself after selling for $1.3M at Sotheby’s
#3Plot twist: the buyer can now probably keep the frame + shreds and resell it for several times what they paid.
Re: An artwork by Banksy shredded itself after selling for $1.3M at Sotheby’s
#4> Banksy’s iconic Girl With Balloon (2006) attracted feverish bidding in the room and on the phones, racing past its high estimate of £300,000 to hammer at £860,000, or just over £1 million ($1.3 million with fees). As the gavel slammed, a siren rang out through the salesroom and everyone stood stunned as the Banksy canvas slid through the frame that it was contained in and emerged underneath—but shredded. I'm impres…
> The spray painted work of the girl with a red balloon, acquired directly from the artist, came in what the catalogue called “the artist’s frame”—a frame that was oddly thick for such a small work of street art.
I doubt the frame was from 2006. And even if, the batteries in it could be inserted/changed prior the auction.
Re: An artwork by Banksy shredded itself after selling for $1.3M at Sotheby’s
#5> Banksy’s iconic Girl With Balloon (2006) attracted feverish bidding in the room and on the phones, racing past its high estimate of £300,000 to hammer at £860,000, or just over £1 million ($1.3 million with fees). As the gavel slammed, a siren rang out through the salesroom and everyone stood stunned as the Banksy canvas slid through the frame that it was contained in and emerged underneath—but shredded. I'm impres…
You'd almost think this story is too good to be true. But we all know this is real.
Re: An artwork by Banksy shredded itself after selling for $1.3M at Sotheby’s
#6Plot twist: the buyer can now probably keep the frame + shreds and resell it for several times what they paid.
The art isn't in the artifact.
Re: An artwork by Banksy shredded itself after selling for $1.3M at Sotheby’s
#7Plot twist: the buyer can now probably keep the frame + shreds and resell it for several times what they paid.
I assume they won’t actually have to pay? I’d guess whatever contract their is with the seller also requires that the art is delivered safely to the purchaser.
I wonder what the message is here, or if there is a message beyond the publicity. I guess something about the art having no inherent value...
Re: An artwork by Banksy shredded itself after selling for $1.3M at Sotheby’s
#8Re: An artwork by Banksy shredded itself after selling for $1.3M at Sotheby’s
#9Plot twist: the buyer can now probably keep the frame + shreds and resell it for several times what they paid.
I assume they won’t actually have to pay? I’d guess whatever contract their is with the seller also requires that the art is delivered safely to the purchaser. I wonder what the message is here, or if there is a message beyond the publicity. I guess something about the art having no inherent value...
It's now a part of art history, it would be a foolish move on the part of the buyer to not accept it. Banksy has reaffirmed why he's maybe the only contemporary visual artist today who counts as a household name. Although I guess we cuold debate whether he's first and foremost a visual artist, or a performance artist. The audacity of his stunts and trickery far outweigh the merits of his clever visual puns.
Re: An artwork by Banksy shredded itself after selling for $1.3M at Sotheby’s
#10Some photos of the shredded art: https://hyperallergic.com/464419/1-3m-banksy-artwork-self-de... ; https://www.theartnewspaper.com/news/sotheby-s-banksy-ed-as-... ; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Std3LfVx41c
It stopped half way, to me it is more 'art' than before.