Sotheby’s sold Banksy’s “Love Is in the Bin” for £18.6 million in 2021.
The work began as “Girl with Balloon,” which partially passed through a hidden shredder immediately after selling at Sotheby’s in London in 2018. Only part of the canvas was shredded, leaving the balloon-girl image suspended in strips. Banksy later presented the transformed work under its new title, “Love Is in the Bin.”
When the altered artwork returned to Sotheby’s in October 2021, it sold for £18,582,000, including the buyer’s premium. The result was a major auction record for Banksy at the time. It is often confused with the 2018 sale itself, which had a much lower price.