The Banksy painting that was shredded after it sold for £1.1 million is back under the hammer.
“The Girl with the Balloon” is the infamous Banksy painting involved in the 2018 shredding incident. The painting was originally made in 2002 on the walls under Waterloo Bridge. Limited prints were then released in 2004, and it remains one of the artist’s most-recognised works.
In 2018, the artwork was put up for auction by the Sotheby’s Fine Arts Company. Immediately after being sold though, the painting was shredded in front of the audience. The painting was framed in a Victorian-style frame that contained a secret shredder, confirmed by the artist themself. The timing of the shredding fuelled rumours that Banksy was in the room at the time. The only part of the painting that remains untouched is the heart-shaped red balloon, while the girl is shredded and hanging below the frame.
3 years later, the painting, now called “Love Is In The Bin”, will be auctioned off on October 14 by the Sothebys. It is expected to sell for ~£4-6 million. It is one of many anti-establishment artworks that the artist has created, the latest being several murals in Norfolk and Suffolk.
