Three years ago, the British artist «Banksy» turned the art world upside down once more. No sooner had his famous painting “Girl with a Balloon” been auctioned for around 1.4 million francs than it destroyed itself. It shredded itself through its own frame.
Today the picture that was actually destroyed was auctioned again. And went for 16 million pounds, the equivalent of more than 20 million francs, to an unknown buyer. That’s fifteen times more than the picture cost three years ago. It also has a new name: “Love is in the Bin” – in German: Love is in the trash.
“A new work of art has been created”
“On that memorable night, Banksy didn’t destroy a work of art, but created a new one,” said a person in charge of the Sotheby auction house, where the picture was auctioned both three years ago and today.
Even when it was destroyed at that time, there were voices saying that the picture could now have become even more valuable. But nobody was likely to have expected 20 million francs.
The “Girl with Balloon” motif is one of the most famous Banksy motifs and appeared for the first time on a wall in Shoreditch, London. The auctioned version dates from 2006 and was attached to a canvas with spray paint and acrylic.
Who Banksy is is still unknown to this day. (vof)