LONDON — The winning bidder for a Banksy painting that self-destructed during an auction last week has decided to go through with the purchase, auctioneer Sotheby’s said Thursday.
The auction house said a female European collector was the successful bidder, agreeing to pay $1.4 million for “Girl With Balloon.”
But just after the hammer came down, and to the shock of those in the saleroom, the bottom half of the work passed through a shredder concealed in the frame.
Sotheby’s said the painting has now been retitled “Love is in the Bin” and authenticated by Banksy’s Pest Control agency.
Alex Branczik, head of contemporary art for Europe at Sotheby’s, says it is “the first artwork in history to have been created live during an auction.”
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