Banksy’s Shredded Painting Is On Sale Again
Albeit, at a much higher price.
Three years ago, Banksy’s painting “Girl with the Balloon” sold at a London auction for $1.4 million. As soon as it was sold, the painting began to self-destruct and go through a hidden shredder; the painting now remains half shredded and has been renamed to “Love is in the Bin”.
Now, “Love is in the Bin” is up for sale and is estimated by Sotheby’s auction house to sell for up to $8.3 million.
Banksy is notorious for his unique approach to the world of art. After multiple decades of political street art, his identity is still unknown, and he continues to produce powerful, and rebellious works. The shredded painting stunt brought so much attention to Banksy and his art that it sparked the debate of whether it was a PR stunt or a criticism of the art market valuing institutions over artists.
As reported by CNN, Matthew Israel, art historian, stated "It's ingenious PR that allowed Banksy to continue to be part of the conversation... and it also provoked important questions about artists and the art market -- as Banksy has done now for many years".
Despite Sotheby’s stating that they had no prior knowledge of the event, and were unaware of the shredder in the frame, many figures in the art world have their suspicions as Sotheby’s ultimately benefited from the sale and the attention it sparked.
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