Lot:
475
56th Contemporary and International Art Auction
8th Session: International Art: Banksy, Haring, Lichtenstein, Warhol, etc...
Unframed
In October 2019 Banksy surprised the world with his new installation in London in the Croydon neighborhood. He rented a shop with large windows for a few days and exhibited art objects made by him, namely prints, mugs, t-shirts, cushions, a helmet covered with mirrors, a jacket, spray cans, a decorated TV, a tomb, a carpet , a cot for babies with cameras and other items. The shop / installation closed about ten days after it was set up, with a video posted on Banksy's Instagram account saying: "The shop that never opens will close this weekend". Some of the same objects on display Banksy surprisingly put them on sale a few days later on the website www.grossdomesticproduct.
The two rare cushions with the inscription "Life is too short to receive advice from a cushion", handmade by Banksy (they are two original paintings on fabric) go to the Artesegno auction with the stencil technique letter by letter in two colors , black and white. Each pair of cushions is unique, none are alike. All documents and emails received from GDP are included plus the original shipping receipt sent by Pest Control to the first owner, all tags attached to the cushions with relative number and all the original packaging. They are 40 x 40 cm each. In the London shop a tag indicated that the series of cushions was limited to 50 copies, then on the GDP website it went as an unlimited object but the common opinion says that no more than 10/15 pairs were made. This is the text of the tag: "This product was hand sprayed by Banksy with car paint, which means it is almost certainly not machine washable. In fact, it's probably not even very wise to wash it by hand. Each pillow set is unique and you have been registered as the owner. "Although Pest Control does not do Coa for many GDP items for pillows it has instead registered the owner's name. All documentation will be attached to the buyer. The pillows are one of the most sought after products in Banksy's Gross Domestic Product Shop, each pair of pillows is unique, as they are “recycled” from “what is found in the charity shop.” With their ironic message they are perfectly at home in the work of Banksy, whose particular kind of black humor, which often relies on puns for making fun of the state and authority figures brought him global success.
Banksy gave the opportunity to buy these products to everyone but under certain conditions. As explained in the disclaimer at the opening of the website's web page, the articles were in small numbers (since they were handcrafted, made in the studio not in the factory) and, given the low costs (starting from 10 pounds for a cup to 750 for the Banksy triptych print Flower), the sale was reserved for those with a low income. "Due to the limited number of products currently available we are opening a registration system" said the site. There were a few days to consult the site and put a product in the cart, only one item was selected, then the data was entered , and you had to answer the question "Why is art important?", with the "Why" crossed out, in 50 words or less, and provide your contact information. The website was clear from the start: the shop was not operating on a "first come, first served" basis. Over 300 thousand purchase requests received in those few days and only about 1500 accepted requests and related pieces. The answer to this question was critical: shoppers were asked to make their responses "as fun, informative, or enlightening as possible." According to the website, the responses were evaluated by an impartial and independent judge, namely a professional stand-up comedian. The winners received the news in early November 2019 that they had won the option to purchase the selected item.
Price:
20.000 €
+ buyer's premium
24%
plus shipment costs