Banksy

Banksy’s self-shredding artwork was headline news in October.

Opinions were immediately formed: Sothebys were in on it; the buyer was in on it; no-one knew about it; it was a statement about the investment-orientated Western art market; it was a publicity stunt for an attention-seeking pseudo-artist; it was all a joke.

And perhaps this last is the one that resonated with most people watching the news. To make an artwork that self-destructs when the auctioneer’s gavel descends has got to make you laugh. But then to discover that the buyer is happy to keep the piece and to realise that its value may have increased by the shredding might make the laughter turn into questions, or shaking of the head at least.