some sort of Banksy retrospective
“Love is in the Bin” is certainly one of the most talked-about pieces of art in recent times. It’s also a genuinely multi-genre piece of art; having transformed from a regular painting to performance art and finally into a piece of conceptual art. A true representation of what Banksy is today?
After a 20-minute bidding duel, the hammer landed at GBP 14,400,000. With the Buyers Premium, the buyer has to cough up GBP 16,758,000 – a new auction record for a Banksy canvas. The seller is NHS and the Southampton University Hospital. According to the lot sheet from Christie’s: “The proceeds will be used to support the wellbeing of University Hospital Southampton staff and patients.”
Well done Banksy!!
Despite heavy promotion from Sotheby’s, Banksy’s “Show me the Monet” didn’t break the record set by Monkey Parliament a year ago. The hammer landed at 6.4 million GBP, and the buyer has to cough up 7,551,600 GBP, which is the hammer price plus the buyer’s premium.
Banksy’s take on the refugee crisis went for 2,235,000 GBP, including buyer’s premium at Sotheby’s “Rembrandt to Richter” auction, more than double the initial estimate. The selling party was ABCD Bethlehem – a Palestinian charity, after receiving the piece as a donation from Banksy. The information sheet for the lot continues: “All proceeds will go towards building a new acute stroke unit and purchasing children’s rehabilitation equipment for BASR hospital in Bethlehem.”
The triptych has been on display at Walled Off Hotel since its opening in March 2017. Due to the corona situation, the hotel remains closed until further notice. The question is whether the hotel will open again or if the sale marks the beginning of the end for the iconic hotel. Hopefully not. See the previous post: The Walled Off Hotel. Palestine, March 2017.
Photograph: Sotheby’s
After a 13-minute bidding duel for “Devolved Parliament” at Sotheby’s Evening Sale, a new auction record was set for Banksy with an £8.5 million hammer price. Including the buyer’s premium, the buyer has to cough up £9.9 million. Banksy did comment on the sale a few hours later on his Instagram account:
From Sotheby’s web:
“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. 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.”
Photo: Banksy’s Instagram
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Banksy unofficial 