One of the most memorable moments in the art world in the last decade was when the mysterious artist Banksy had his painting “Love is In the Bin” self-destruct the moment it sold at auction. The price for the (intact) painting was $1.2 million.

The frame of the painting hid a secret shredder, which attempted to destroy the painting as soon as the auction gavel went down.  Although the shredder didn’t fully succeed, the moment was shocking and amazing to see, with members of the highbrow Sotheby’s auction crowd aghast as the art descended through the gold frame.  We’ve queued up the video below.

Ironically, the half-shredded painting is now even more iconic, and just sold at auction again, this time for a whopping $25.4 million.

Whether Banksy finds this turn of events charming or not, the art world remains hungry for moments like this.  Via Robb Report:

 

Edited by Ben VanderVeen · About Moss & Fog

Author

Ben VanderVeen is the founder and editor of Moss & Fog, one of the web’s longest-running visual culture destinations. Since 2009, he’s been finding and framing the most beautiful, surprising, and thought-provoking work in art, architecture, design, and nature — reaching over 325,000 readers each month. He lives in Portland, Oregon.

Discover more from Moss and Fog

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading