Sotheby’s Gets “Banksy’ed” at Contemporary Art Auction in London

Sotheby’s recent auctions have been making headlines for many years – and quite often recently. Much like the record-breaking sale of a 1962 Ferrari GTO in August at Monterrey, the evening auction in London last week ended with unexpected results at the hands of famed street-artist, Banksy.

In a moment that caught the art world by surprise, Banksy’s Girl with Balloon self-destructed just as the final hammer signaled the end of an evening of auctions in London. The work sold for £1,042,000 ($1.4 million), tying the artist’s record in pounds at auction previously achieved in 2008.

Banksy’s Girl With Red Balloon Mysteriously Shreds Following Its Sale At Sotheby’s London. Image Courtesy Of Casterline Goodman Gallery .

The framed work, spray paint and acrylic on canvas, mounted on board depicted a girl reaching out toward a bright red, heart shaped balloon – one of Banksy’s most iconic images – began to pass through a shredder hidden in the frame.

“It appears we just got Banksy-ed.” Alex Branczik, Senior Director and Head of Contemporary Art, Europe London.

The unexpected incident became instant art world history and certainly marks the first time in auction history that a work of art automatically shredded itself after coming under the hammer.

Led by Jenny Saville’s monumental work Propped, which established a new auction record for a living female artist, the evening of Contemporary Art auctions brought a combined total of £68.7 million. The 25 artworks offered from the collection of the late David Teiger, the visionary collector, patron and museum trustee, were 100% sold for an overall total of £35.9 million.

See the original piece at Sotheby’s and learn more about the evening’s events.