A Banksy Painting Sells For $1.4 Million . . . Then Self-Destructs
Banksy’s entire art career is centered around dark humor and anti-consumerism . . . but this MIGHT just be his best stunt yet.
On Friday, a Banksy painting of a little girl releasing a red, heart-shaped balloon sold at a Sotheby’s auction in England for $1.4 million.
And right after the auctioneer hit the gavel to complete the sale . . . the painting SHREDDED itself. It turns out Banksy had built a shredder into the frame YEARS AGO, and either he or one of his accomplices triggered it right after it sold.
It’s a hell of a prank and a piece of performance art, and it’s one that’s TOTALLY on-brand for Banksy.
Unfortunately, it looks like it might backfire on him though . . . because now some art experts say that the stunt was SUCH an epic move that the shards of the painting might be worth 50% more than what it sold for.
(Here’s an Instagram video Banksy posted showing himself building the shredder into the painting . . . and then the shredding at Sotheby’s on Friday.)
