Balloon Girl Self-Destructs

'We've Been Banksy'd!' Balloon Girl Self-Destructs on Fetching 1.3 Million at Sotheby's Auction

by RT

October 6, 2018

The elusive world-famous British street artist Banksy has reportedly pulled off one of the greatest art heists, allowing his own painting to self-destruct, just moments after ‘Girl with a Balloon’ had fetched over £1mn at auction.

Art lovers and collectors appeared shocked the moment Banksy’s Girl with a Balloon shredded itself into ribbons immediately after hammering a record of £860,000 (£1.04mn or $1.37mn with buyer's premium) at a Contemporary Art Evening Auction at Sotheby's London on Friday.

The 101cm-by-78 cm canvas in an artist's frame, annihilated in front of the auctioneers by a mechanism apparently hidden within the base of the frame, with just strips left to admire from the 2006 masterpiece produced by the famous-yet-anonymous British artist.