Year: 2006
Medium: screenprint in colors on Arches 88 paper, with full margins
Dimensions: image: 50.8 x 71 cm (20 x 28 in.) Sheet: 57.2 x 76.2 cm (22 1/2 x 30 in.)
Edition: No. 218 of 500
Acquired from PHILLIPS, 2022
As the title suggests, this is a satirical piece in a very BANKSY style. The painting appears to be a scene from an auction. With a price tag of $750,450, a row of paintings in authentic frames, and a canvas painted with the words, "I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU MORONS ACTUALLY BUY THIS SHIT." facing the visitors. BANKSY’s works, one may assume that they have some deeper message in the price figures and the slightly vulgar slogans, though there is no definitive interpretation yet. The artist frequently criticizes the heated art market surrounding himself, especially the auction system. It seems that he is raising doubt over the rising value of his works which is not his intention. A crypto asset group known as Burnt Banksy resorted to a violent act in which they acquired part of the edition of this work, burnt the original, and converted the image into an NFT without permission. The NFT made further headlines when it recorded a deal of 228.69 ETH (equivalent to about 40 million yen as of March 2021).
