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| Banksy artwork shreds itself after £1m sale at Sotheby's | Banksy artwork shreds itself after £1m sale at Sotheby's |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| A stencil spray painting by elusive artist Banksy shredded itself after it was sold for more than £1m. | A stencil spray painting by elusive artist Banksy shredded itself after it was sold for more than £1m. |
| The framed Girl With Balloon, one of the artist's best known works, was auctioned by Sotheby's in London. | The framed Girl With Balloon, one of the artist's best known works, was auctioned by Sotheby's in London. |
| The piece which shows a girl reaching towards a heart-shaped balloon was the final work sold at the auction. | The piece which shows a girl reaching towards a heart-shaped balloon was the final work sold at the auction. |
| However, moments after the piece went under the hammer, the canvas passed through a shredder that was hidden inside the frame. | However, moments after the piece went under the hammer, the canvas passed through a shredder that was hidden inside the frame. |
| Posting a picture of the moment on Instagram, Banksy wrote: "Going, going, gone..." | Posting a picture of the moment on Instagram, Banksy wrote: "Going, going, gone..." |
| The 2006 piece sold for £1.042m on Friday night. | The 2006 piece sold for £1.042m on Friday night. |
| "It appears we just got Banksy-ed," said Alex Branczik, Sotheby's senior director and head of contemporary art in Europe. | "It appears we just got Banksy-ed," said Alex Branczik, Sotheby's senior director and head of contemporary art in Europe. |
| Banksy rose to prominence through a series of graffiti pieces across the country. | |
| The enigmatic artist is thought to have grown up in Bristol, but his identity has remained a secret despite much speculation over the years. | The enigmatic artist is thought to have grown up in Bristol, but his identity has remained a secret despite much speculation over the years. |
| Among his recent works was the 2015 opening of Dismaland, a Disneyland-esque theme park which he described as a "family theme park unsuitable for children". | Among his recent works was the 2015 opening of Dismaland, a Disneyland-esque theme park which he described as a "family theme park unsuitable for children". |
| In 2017, Girl With Balloon, which originally appeared on a wall in Great Eastern Street, London, was voted the nation's favourite artwork.. | In 2017, Girl With Balloon, which originally appeared on a wall in Great Eastern Street, London, was voted the nation's favourite artwork.. |
| The gallery version featured spray paint and acrylic on canvas, mounted on a board. | The gallery version featured spray paint and acrylic on canvas, mounted on a board. |
| What you want to know | |
| Who bought it? And do they still have to pay? | |
| Sotheby's has not revealed who had bought the piece before it was shredded. | |
| At the moment it is unclear whether their contract still stands. | |
| Mr Branczik told the Financial Times the auction house was trying to "figure out" what the stunt means. | |
| He said: "We have not experienced this situation in the past ...where a painting spontaneously shredded, upon achieving a [near-]record for the artist. | |
| "We are busily figuring out what this means in an auction context." | |
| Will the piece be worth more now, or is it ruined? | |
| Opinion is split. | |
| Some social media posters have speculated that the prank could have actually caused the artwork to increase in value. | |
| However, others have questioned whether the buyer would still have to pay for it - or would even want to. | |
| Was it all just a hoax? | |
| There have been some suggestions Sotheby's may have been in on the stunt. | |
| However, there has been no confirmation of that from the auction house. | |
| In a statement on its website, it described the incident as "unexpected" and said it had become "instant art world history". | |
| The mystery continues. | |
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| Were you in Sotheby's in London when Banksy's artwork shredded itself? Email us at haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk with your pictures, videos and experiences. | Were you in Sotheby's in London when Banksy's artwork shredded itself? Email us at haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk with your pictures, videos and experiences. |
| Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways: | Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways: |
| Or use the form below | Or use the form below |