Banksy's
version of
The Balloon Girl
, whose partial self-destruction three years ago caused a sensation, was sold Thursday October 14 for nearly 18.6 million pounds (21.8 million euros), a new record for the British artist.
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Renamed
Love is in the Bin
(
Love is in the Bin
), the work sold at Sotheby's in London exceeds the previous record set last March by
Game Changer
, a canvas honoring caregivers during a pandemic of coronavirus, sold for 16.75 million pounds (19.5 million euros) for the benefit of the British public health service.
Sparkle
The work's last appearance at an auction in 2018 had caused amazement around the world.
No sooner had the hammer sounded when a crusher concealed in the frame had shredded the lower half of the canvas, which depicts a little girl releasing a red heart-shaped balloon, leaving only the balloon intact. White background.
With this resounding action, which had caused a real earthquake in the art world, the street artist aimed to denounce the “
commodification
” of art.
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In its press release announcing the sale, Sotheby's called the destruction "
the most spectacular artistic happening of the 21st century
", placing it in the "
legacy of anti-establishment art that began with (the) Dada and Marcel Duchamp movement
" . Since this stroke of brilliance, Banksy has panicked auctions where his works are reaching records.
Banksy became known for a series of graffiti appearing on buildings.
The Bristol-born artist, who maintains the mystery of his identity, likes to provoke and give food for thought.
In 2005, he painted the graffiti
The Flower Thrower
on a wall in Jerusalem, depicting a masked protester about to throw a bouquet of flowers.
The artist also uses his graffiti bomb to demonstrate his opposition to Brexit, his support for migrants, or to warn of the climate emergency.
