Bansky Painting Brings A World Record in Christie's $275 Million Sale Series
- March 23, 2021 16:58
After a 14-minute bidding battle, a painting that the street artist Bansky created in homage to health workers in the COVID-19 pandemic brought a record 16.8 million pounds ($23.2 million) at Christie’s on Tuesday. Proceeds from the sale will be used to fund health organizations and charities across the U.K., according to the auction house.
Titled “Game Changer,” the mostly black-and-white work depicts a young boy sitting on the floor playing with a nurse superhero toy, as Batman and Spiderman figurines sit idly in a nearby basket. The work was unveiled last May at Britain's University Hospital Southampton, as a tribute to frontline health workers during the pandemic.
A reproduction of "Game Changer" will remain on view for future patients, visitors and staff at the hospital.
The record-busting Bansky was part of Christie’s Spring Season of 20th Century Evening Sales that ended March 23, realizing $274,825,084. The series of consecutive sales was launched from Hong Kong with Jean-Michel Basquiat’s Warrior (1982), which set a new record, becoming the most expensive western artwork ever sold in Asia at $41,857,351. Warrior saw competition from bidders in London, New York and Hong Kong, before ultimately selling to an Asian buyer on the phone in Hong Kong.
The 20th Century Evening Sale continued with records for contemporary painters Joy Labinjo’s No Wahala, which sold for £150,000 and Claire Tabouret’s The Last Day, which sold for £622,500, both of which exceeding their presale estimates by more than 300% each, Issy Wood’s Over Armour (non-linear, non-violent), sold for £250,000 in the artist’s auction debut.
The 20th edition of The Art of the Surreal Evening Sale totalled $66,973,158, selling 85% by lot and 90% by value, the second highest total to date for any auction dedicated to dada and surrealism.
Over 400,000 viewers tuned in on various platforms and registered bidders came from 36 countries across 5 continents.
