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Library/Moment/Banksy's Self-Shredding Painting
Grade B33 sourcesHIS-00042

Banksy's Self-Shredding Painting

Moment · 2018 · Viral

66Editable slideCertificate

A painting shredded at auction, then set a Banksy record at $25.4 million.

Clip · banksyfilm on YouTube
Banksy's Self-Shredding Painting
Sotheby's
Sotheby's Gets Banksy'ed at Contemporary Art Auction in London
Sotheby's
Banksy’s ‘Girl with Balloon’ renamed ‘Love is in the Bin’ | CNN
CNN
Exhibition of works by street artist Banksy in St Petersburg
TIME
Love is in the Bin
Sotheby's
Banksy Brings Down the House at the Contemporary Art Evening Auction
Sotheby's
2021: Historic Year In Review
Sotheby's
Shredding the Girl and Balloon - The Director’s half cut
banksyfilm on YouTube
Sotheby’s 'Banksy-ed' as painting 'self-destructs' live at auction
The Art Newspaper
Banksy painting shreds itself minutes after being sold for $1.4 million
The FADER
Banksy video reveals shredding mechanism failed at Sotheby’s
The Art Newspaper
Shredded Banksy work to go on long-term loan to Stuttgart museum
The Art Newspaper

Spread Score

How it works
ReachNo data yetContagionNo data yetBreadth80Velocity65Longevity5066

Numbers

Seed to peak
1 day
Oct 5 ’18 to Oct 6 ’18
Platforms
8
Started on Retail
Origin
Stunt
Retail

Mechanics

  • Real-world spectaclePrimary
  • Platform jump
  • Press loop
  • Controversy
  • Resale market
  • Brand pile-on

How it spread

Trace the origin

Girl with Balloon partly shredded after selling at Sotheby’s London. Banksy’s explanation reached Twitter and Reddit, and brands copied the frame-and-strips image. The buyer kept the work, renamed Love is in the Bin; its 2021 resale set a Banksy record.

Google searchesAug ’18OctNovFeb ’19MarAugApr ’20OctJun ’21OctPeakRetailPressInstagramXRedditFacebookOpen webYouTube
RetailPressInstagramXRedditFacebookOpen webYouTube

14 more events on this chart

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Timeline (17)

  1. October 2018

    Banksy seed · Oct 5 ’18

    Girl with Balloon partly shredded itself after selling for £1,042,000 with fees at Sotheby’s London.[1][2]

    Sotheby's Gets Banksy'ed at Contemporary Art Auction in London
    Open the first post ↗

  2. The Art Newspaper press · Oct 5 ’18

    The Art Newspaper reported the shredding that night and speculation about who had triggered it.[2]

    Sotheby’s 'Banksy-ed' as painting 'self-destructs' live at auction

  3. Banksy owner response · Oct 6 ’18

    Banksy posted “Going, going, gone...” and a video showing a shredder hidden in the frame.[3][4]

    Banksy painting shreds itself minutes after being sold for $1.4 million
Changelogupdated Oct 12 ’26
  1. 2026-10-12Added: 16 events, 24 sources · Score 83
Origin
Stunt
Sector
Retail
Region
GB
Reported figure
—
Evidence
Grade B

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Google searchesAug ’18OctNovFeb ’19MarAugApr ’20OctJun ’21OctPeakRetailPressInstagramXRedditFacebookOpen webYouTube
RetailPressInstagramXRedditFacebookOpen webYouTube

14 more events on this chart

Join free to see them

  1. October 2018

    Banksy seed · Oct 5 ’18

    Girl with Balloon partly shredded itself after selling for £1,042,000 with fees at Sotheby’s London.[1][2]

    Sotheby's Gets Banksy'ed at Contemporary Art Auction in London
    Open the first post ↗

  2. The Art Newspaper press · Oct 5 ’18

    The Art Newspaper reported the shredding that night and speculation about who had triggered it.[2]

    Sotheby’s 'Banksy-ed' as painting 'self-destructs' live at auction

  3. Banksy owner response · Oct 6 ’18

    Banksy posted “Going, going, gone...” and a video showing a shredder hidden in the frame.[3][4]

    Banksy painting shreds itself minutes after being sold for $1.4 million

  1. platform jump · Oct 6 ’18

  2. platform jump · Oct 6 ’18

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