On Friday, collectors at Sotheby’s frenzied over Banksy’s 2006 “Girl with Balloon” painting, ultimately pushing the winning bid to a jaw-dropping $1.4 million.
After the gavel was struck, an alarm went off, reports The New York Times. Within seconds, the painting was pulled through the bottom of the frame by an automatic shredder.
Two posts about the incident were uploaded to Banksy’s official Instagram account. One is a still image of the painting getting shredded, featuring the caption: “Going, going, gone.”
The other is a video showing bystanders reacting in shock as the art is destroyed. The shredding appears to stop on its own at the halfway mark as two men quickly take the painting off the wall.
Beneath the video is a quote from Picasso: “The urge to destroy is also a creative urge.”
Sotheby’s quotes Alex Branczik, Senior Director and Head of Contemporary Art, Europe London, who stated: “It appears we just got Banksy-ed.”
According to Sotheby’s, the bidder’s identity is private, and the auction house is “currently in discussions about next steps.”