Banksy Painting ‘Self-Destructs’ Moments After Being Sold In London – Design You Trust

Banksy Painting ‘Self-Destructs’ Moments After Being Sold In London

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 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.

“It appears we just got Banksy-ed,” said Alex Branczik, Senior Director and Head of Contemporary Art, Europe London. The unexpected incident became instant art world folklore and certainly marks the first time in auction history that a work of art automatically shredded itself after coming under the hammer.

More: Instagram h/t: sothebys

View this post on Instagram

Going, going, gone…

A post shared by Banksy (@banksy) on



If you want more awesome content, subscribe to 'Oh, Design You Trust,' our brand new Facebook page! Trust me, you won't be disappointed.

More Inspiring Stories

Couple Married 61 Years Ago Takes "Up" Inspired Anniversary Photos
Advice From Cats On How To Survive The Holidays
Heartwrenching Illustration Series Follows An Elderly Man In His Pursuit Of Happiness
Expressive, Large-Scale Pencil Drawings That Are Amazingly Photo-Realistic
Vegetal By Nature: When An Artist Is Styling Statues With Flowers
"Wipe Away Your Bad Vibes": Surreal Digital Manipulations by Alessandro Malossi
Amazing Van Gogh Paintings Re-Created On Matchboxes By Salavat Fidai
Inside the Vibrant World of Aurélia Durand
Hungarian Artist Creates Hilarious Scenes By Placing Characters In Movies Or TV Shows They Don’t Belong In
40 Times Medieval Painters Had No Idea How Something Looked And Created “Weird Medieval Guys”, As Shared On This Twitter Page
Surreal Animal Hybrid Tattoos Look Like Quirky Sketchbook Drawings
Any Functioning Adult 2020 Presidential Election Campaign Is Getting Popular
Unique And Memorable Color Palettes To Inspire You
Hilariously Unapologetic Comics By Domien Delforge
The Horror Of Sleep Paralysis Hallucinations Revealed In 46 Dark Drawings
Artist Reveals What Fonts Were Used To Design Famous Logos
Mulberry's Advertising Campaign, Fall 2012
Japanese Illustrator Imagines A World Where Humans Live Among Giant Animals
This Artist Turns Sketches Into Amazing Digital Art
Digital Artist Creates Thought-Provoking Illustrations That May Make You Look At Things Differently
Days Of Future Past: Natural Act Collages By Merve Özaslan
Artist Photoshops Kids’ Drawings As If They Were Real, And It’s Terrifyingly Funny
"Nothing Stands Obscured": The Superb Dark And Atmospheric Cinematic Artworks By Alexander Mandradjiev
Artist Redesigns One Movie Poster A Day For 365 Days, And They’re Better Than Original