Alarms blared. The crowd gasped. Everyone turned to look at a painting by British artist Banksy. The iconic Girl With Balloon had just sold to an art collector for $1.4 million at Sotheby’s auction house in London. But the moment the auctioneer proclaimed the work sold, it slid halfway through its frame. Half the canvas emerged in shreds. The crowd watched the incident—which some people are calling performance art—in shock.
Banksy, who prefers to remain anonymous, is famous for his street art, through which he often conveys political messages. The artist later revealed that he hid a shredder in the frame a few years ago. When the work sold, a person in the room secretly activated the shredder with a remote control.
Some art experts believe that after receiving so much attention, the painting is now worth even more. What do you think? Should the work’s value increase, decrease, or stay the same? Why?