How a shredded painting became the most expensive work ever created during an auction

Art · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Banksy’s Girl with Balloon is more than a stencil mural; it is a cultural phenomenon that evolved from street art into a record-breaking performance piece. After a framed copy self-destructed mid-auction in 2018, the partially shredded remains were renamed and eventually sold for millions, cementing its place in history.

First appearing in 2002, Girl with Balloon began as a series of stencil murals across London, depicting a young girl reaching for a heart-shaped balloon. While the original street locations have since vanished, the motif became a versatile vehicle for Banksy’s social commentary. Over the years, he adapted the design to address the West Bank barrier in 2005, the Syrian refugee crisis in 2014, and the 2017 United Kingdom general election.

The artwork’s market trajectory is as unconventional as its creator. In 2018, a framed 2006 version sold at Sotheby’s for £1,042,000. Immediately upon the final bid, a hidden mechanical shredder installed by Banksy within the frame activated, destroying the lower half of the canvas. This act transformed the piece into Love Is in the Bin, which Sotheby’s described as the first artwork in history created during a live auction. The buyer proceeded with the purchase, and the work later sold for £18 million in October 2021.

Beyond the headlines, the work remains a touchstone for public sentiment. A 2017 Samsung poll of 2,000 people ranked it as the United Kingdom’s favorite artwork. Its value has also surged in the print market; a purple artist proof sold for £791,250 in September 2020, setting a record for a Banksy print. Despite its fame, the work is not immune to the realities of the art trade, as evidenced by the 2024 theft and subsequent recovery of a print from a London gallery.

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