Onlookers gasped as the painting of "Balloon Girl" shredded itself to pieces moments after the gavel came down after someone bid a million pounds. The price matched a record for the mysterious artist.
A painting by the secretive British artist Banksy shredded itself moments after it was sold at auction for a million British pounds ($1.3 million).
The painting was a copy of his famous image "Balloon Girl," which depicts a young girl reaching for a red heart-shaped balloon that has blown away.
It originally appeared in London in 2002, and Bansky has since reimagined it for several political causes including in support of Syrian refugees and against the Conservative party in the UK's 2017 election.
It was voted the UK's best-loved work of art in 2017.
This version of Balloon Girl was the final item at Sotheby’s in London on Friday night . After it was sold, onlookers gasped as the bottom of the painting appeared to be sucked into a shredding machine hidden at the bottom of the frame.
Ahead of the auction, Sotheby's had noted that the ornate frame was "an integral element of the artwork chosen by Bansky himself."
The artist posted a video of the incident on Instagram, with the caption "going, going, gone…"
'We just got Banksy-ed'
"It appears we just got Banksy-ed," Alex Branczik, Senior Director and Head of Contemporary Art at Sotheby's said in a statement.
"We are busily figuring out what this means in an auction context," he added.
Banksy has a penchant for elaborate pranks, including hanging an image of a spear-toting ancient human pushing a shopping cart in the British Museum, where it remained unnoticed by museum staff for several days in 2005. A year later, he smuggled a life-sized figure of a Guantanamo Bay detainee into Disneyland in California.
Banksy is not, however, the first artist to pioneer "auto-destructive art." That particular technique was first used by German-born artists Gustav Metzger, who in the years after World War II created paintings using an acid that ate away at the canvas.
Banksy : King of urban art
He works in secret and creates street art in urban spaces. He sometimes works on paper on commission. Banksy's art comes with a hefty price tag. Collector Dirk Kronsbein has 45 of his works and is showing them in Munich.
Image: Banksy/Girl with Balloon
Paparazzi Rat
Banksy's stencil piece "Paparazzi Rat" is one of his most iconic works. Starting April 15, 2016, collector Dirk Kronsbein is showing 45 works from his Banksy collection, many of them originals, in his Munich gallery. Kronsbein has said he holds Banksy in high regard due to his social activism.
Image: Banksy/Paparazzi Rat
Toxic Mary
Maria feeds Baby Jesus with a bottle that's adorned with a skull. Bomber jets are flying below them in this macabre picture. Dirk Kronsbein owns the original "Toxic Maria." Originals are hard to come by on the art market and can cost around 625,000 euros ($713,000).
Image: Banksy/Toxic Mary
Monkey Queen
Banksy is not only critical of society, he also has a sense of humor. Here, he's depicted the Queen as a chimpanzee in royal regalia. Banksy donates the proceeds from his works to charity. He was once able to present a six-figure check to a youth sports club after the sale of one painting. Dirk Kronsbein also plans to support sport programs for children with his exhibition.
Image: Bansky/Monkey Queen
Chose your Weapon
Dirk Kronsbein only sells a Banksy work if he owns more than one copy of it - as in the case of "Choose Your Weapon." It's an homage to artist Keith Haring with his dog. Kronsbein also sells Banksy paraphernalia and donates the proceeds to boxing programs for troubled youth.
Image: Banksy/Choose Your Weapon
Heavy Weapon
Banksy often deals with armed violence and armament in his work. In "Heavy Weapon," he shows an elephant with a missile on its back. While graffiti in urban spaces is often illegal, on paper they're collector items. Even copies can cost as much as 100,000 euros.
Image: Banksy/Heavy Weapon
Girl Nola
Not all of Banksy's works are political. He's also created poetic stencil paintings like "Girl Nola," whose umbrella is spilling red and yellow rain. Who is Banksy? He remains an enigma and fiercely guards the secret of his identity. All efforts to find out who he really is have been in vain.
Image: Banksy/Nola
Kate Moss
Owning a Banksy is a status symbol enjoyed by many celebrities. Actors Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, as well as model Kate Moss, all possess works by the mysterious street artist. Moss not only collects Banksy's works, but also became one: She had herself portrayed by him in the Pop Art style of Andy Warhol's iconic Marilyn Monroe painting.
Image: Banksy/Kate Moss
Girl with Balloon
Coldplay singer Chris Martin purchased the original painting "Girl with Balloon" at an auction. Not only celebrities, but also other artists like Damien Hirst collect works by Banksy. Hirst was among the first to recognize the street artist's talent.
