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 evolved from a regular painting into performance art and, finally, into conceptual art. An accurate representation of what Banksy is today?
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, 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 coronavirus 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.
Banksy unofficial 