Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

An artwork by Banksy shredded itself after selling for $1.3M at Sotheby’s

artsy.net

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

191–200 of 301 posts

Re: An artwork by Banksy shredded itself after selling for $1.3M at Sotheby’s

#191

Post by MisterTea »

Geekette wrote: post #186

Great performance art. I've always thought about ridiculously expensive art self-destructing at point of sale, which is often auctions. I don't think art should be that inaccessible and I'm not asserting a specific threshold is but beyond a certain pricing level, art does become ridiculous. It would be interesting to see this incident repeat itself but with complete destruction - would the auctioneers argue that ashe…

Two possibilities, and by god I hope my first is right:

It's a super clever two-stage prank. At auction the picture is supposed to shred but it stops half way. Did it break? Was that the intention? Who knows! That's the mystery behind it. Now it's more than just a simple painting, it's a performance piece and worth significantly more! The half shredded portrait is hung up somewhere and weeks or months from now the shredder comes back to life for the finale of complete destruction. "Going... Going... Gone" became "Going up up and away!" Ha! Take that Banksy! Then full circle back to gone, Banksy has the last laugh. Bonus points if it does this in the middle of the night and the owner is greeted by a pile of shreds on the floor the following morning.

Second and more boring possibility: the shredder was supposed to fully destroy the picture at auction but unfortunately failed. I believe Banksy intended the piece to fully self destruct in full view of the auction house as a big "fuck you" to art hoarding and monetizing.

Re: An artwork by Banksy shredded itself after selling for $1.3M at Sotheby’s

#192

Post by russtrpkovski »

zaroth wrote: post #124

This is just so impressive to me. That this was set in motion in 2006 with the engineering and frame design and executed perfectly 12 years later is just so magnificent I’m almost tearing up. The way the it was shredded and stopping halfway allows the piece to still be hung, and in my mind, this massively increases the notoriety and value of the piece. To prank Sotheby’s like this at the moment that the auctioneers g…

Video: https://twitter.com/zoelouisesmithx/status/10485771217429831...

Re: An artwork by Banksy shredded itself after selling for $1.3M at Sotheby’s

#193

Post by orbifold »

twunde wrote: post #59

I'm honestly struck by how _cheap_ this piece was sold for. Banksy is a household name unlike most contemporary artists. Pieces by Jeff Koons have sold for 50 million but Banksy struggles to cross the 1 million mark? I'm surprised that there are no tech millionaires or Wall Street Titans buying up the pieces.

Jeff Koons Art ist actually pretty good, I can’t say the same of Banksky. The value of Art is sometimes inversely related to how popular it is, because it then can be no longer used to signal that you „get“ it.

Re: An artwork by Banksy shredded itself after selling for $1.3M at Sotheby’s

#194

Post by mc32 »

zaroth wrote: post #124

This is just so impressive to me. That this was set in motion in 2006 with the engineering and frame design and executed perfectly 12 years later is just so magnificent I’m almost tearing up. The way the it was shredded and stopping halfway allows the piece to still be hung, and in my mind, this massively increases the notoriety and value of the piece. To prank Sotheby’s like this at the moment that the auctioneers g…

I think it's a set-up.

The portion of the artwork with the head at top seems disjointed from the rest of the shredded portion (the original picture has normal human proportions).

So, it seems at least, that there may be two works of art.

One which remains unshredded and one which was already shredded (and was released by some mech). Whatever powered the light, likely powered the release mechanism for the shredded and unshredded works of art.

If so, still remains an impressive stunt.

Re: An artwork by Banksy shredded itself after selling for $1.3M at Sotheby’s

#195

Post by cptskippy »

weavejester wrote: post #160
spuz wrote: post #136

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's unlikely this was planned in 2006. That's a pretty big assumption to make.

The Sotheby's auction page says the piece was "Acquired directly from the artist by the present owner in 2006", so either the owner or Soethby's collaborated with Banksy, or Banksy built the shredder into the frame in 2006. Or, I guess, Banksy could have offered the owner the frame prior to the auction, without the owner being aware of what it did.

> Banksy could have offered the owner the frame prior to the auction, without the owner being aware of what it did.

That's very unlikely as it would take special care to mount the print in such a way that I would fall downward.

Typically framed works are held in place.

Re: An artwork by Banksy shredded itself after selling for $1.3M at Sotheby’s

#196

Post by archagon »

logicchains wrote: post #145
konschubert wrote: post #139

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't think two orders of magnitude is a reasonable level of wealth inequality.

What gives you the right to decide what other people do with their stuff? How would you feel if someone came along and said "I don't think two orders of magnitude is a reasonable level of wealth inequality, so I'm taking everything you own to give it to poor Africans"? Imagine two people both making $100k/year. One saves/invests half their income, the other saves 0%. In 20 years, one has a million dollars of savings,…

What gives people the right to own “stuff” in the first place? We live in society. If people aren’t happy with the rules, they can go live in a cave and burn their millions for warmth.

Re: An artwork by Banksy shredded itself after selling for $1.3M at Sotheby’s

#198

Post by maym86 »

jakecodes wrote: post #148

As a magic aficionado my bet is that the picture was rolled into the frame and a pre torn version popped out the bottom. Like the old dollar bill trick. Still impressive.

I highly doubt it. I don't think Banksey is worried about a print being damaged.

Re: An artwork by Banksy shredded itself after selling for $1.3M at Sotheby’s

#199

Post by corodra »

So, I can’t access the site, guessing it’s overloaded.

But a few things I’ve picked up from the discussions.

First off, a product that destroys itself immediately when purchased. I understand the art world now sees it as more valuable. Whatever. Idiots. But what if you bought a car and the moment you drove off the lot the wheels fell off? That’s some fraudulent ass shit right there. Now, don’t get me wrong. A mil+ for any type of “art” is a stupid in my eyes. But I’m also into collecting antique wood working tools. So, to each their own. But I understand the anger someone would feel for paying a lot for something that is trash. Plus as a seller. As Sotheby’s, I’d raise some unholy hell... unless I was in on it to.

The anti-capitalist committed the biggest sin in capitalism for his own greed. He profited from an exchange that inherently does not satisfy a customer’s need, even though advertised otherwise. And yes, I say greed. He, or they if it’s a group of artists, are part of it as a money making scam.

Famous anti-capitalists are not anti-capitalists. They’re always sellin’ somethin’. Maybe not today, but at some point, they cash in for their audience, eyeball investment.

Oh well, no one cares because it’s the art market. The most prolific way to launder and transfer dirty narco and terrorist money because, no one in the public cares. The old white people market as people like to whine about. That market needs to be regulated more hardcore than the stock market. Maybe that’s the point? Damn I hope so, then I’d give them more credit. But most folks ain’t that clever.

Re: An artwork by Banksy shredded itself after selling for $1.3M at Sotheby’s

#200

Post by archagon »

tetrazine wrote: post #62
rapnie wrote: post #18

Big art has been hijacked by big money. Art as an investment vehicle, something to preen yourself with, show others you are elite. This shows the hypocrisy. Unfortunately it will not change anything. The piece has just become more valuable, I predict. Go Banksy. Art for the masses.

In the art world, Banksy is seen largely as trite and is known to attract new and dumb money. If you've seen his film "Exit Through The Gift Shop", Mr. Brainwash, the aspiring artist he portrays, is quite similar to how anyone who knows or cares a little about art sees Banksy himself. It isn't just "big money" saying this - ask any cool (poor) artists or curators if they like Banksy and you'll be laughed out of the r…

While the art world is busy flaunting its taste, real people are reacting to and enjoying Banksy’s art. His name and his work will live on.
Post reply on HN