I believe that while Sotheby’s was likely not fully aware of what was going to happen, they had a suspicion that something was up and played along for the sake of theater. To minimize the disruption, they put the Banksy work last, but until the shredded work scrolled out the bottom of the frame, the exact nature of the prank was not clear to them. I suspect that Sotheby’s knowledge was limited to knowing something harmless was up that potentially could benefit them as a PR stunt.

It would be analogous to Banksy holding a giant sign with tape on it and Sotheby’s noticing this and graciously winking and turning around so it could be placed on their back. Sotheby’s then acted surprised when others pointed out that the sign read “kick me” and claimed to have been “Banksy’d” and then soaked up the press.

Had Sotheby’s actually been completely caught off guard by a man with a remote detonation device and large frame concealing electronics making a beeping noise, one would assume they would have jumped into action assuming the worst. Instead, the porters calmly shepherded the work out of the room and returned to the activities of the evening. I assume Sotheby’s was familiar with the person who had the triggering device (if not also familiar with the specifics of the plan). Otherwise, one would hope the culprit would currently be in police custody for questioning.

What this means for Banksy and Sotheby’s

If Sotheby’s had been complicit in planning the act, it would be pretty damaging for Banksy. There is nothing less cool than being a sock puppet for the industry you are claiming to rebel against. As it is, the shredding immediately drove up the value of Banksy’s work, which makes many wonder what his true motivations are.

I believe Banksy’s people (Pest Control) let Sotheby’s know something was up but saved the details for the great reveal. Score one for Banksy, though there are many other ways he could have protested if they wanted to make the point without benefiting financially from the protest.



Time will tell, but this appears to be a “lose, lose” scenario for Sotheby’s. If they were complicit in staging this, they have effectively turned one of the most prestigious auction houses into a bad episode of Storage Hunters. They lose credibility in an industry where credibility is all that matters. If they were not complicit, they look disorganized, unprofessional, and gullible, at best.

Updates and Corrections

Marion Maneker, my go to source for all information on the art market, has informed me that:

Banksy has a 1 in 42 chance of getting the last lot. The first 25 were a single owner sale. He would not have been in the first dozen lots for a variety of reasons. So now 1 in 30 possibly fewer. Not clear the lot had to be last to pull the prank. Would have been better there in the middle of the room held by two porters.

Several insiders have told me Sotheby’s had no clue. With one asking to remain anonymous stating:

Sotheby's knew the frame was overly large and requested to open it which was refused by Pest Control. I can guarantee you that they weren't in on it. They had no idea.

Another insider asking to remain anonymous stated:

The head of sale put it last bc the consignors would not sell unless it was in the evening sale. The consignor is Banksy. The person who acted as a beard insisted on evening sale. He gave it to him but he was annoyed so put it last. There is no other possible consignor.

As always, thanks for reading and feel free to reach out with ideas at jason@artnome.com. If you enjoy the articles be sure to sign up for the Artnome newsletter below.