LONDON — A girl with a balloon popped into a prestigious auction and popped out with a destructive shred.
Art patrons quickly realized they had been framed.
"Girl With Balloon," a painting by British artist Banksy, was sold at a Sotheby's auction Friday night in London for more than $1 million, the BBC reported.
As soon as the winning telephone bid had been verified, the street artist's most recognized work suddenly passed through a shredder that was installed in the frame, the BBC reported.
Posting a picture of the moment on Instagram, Banksy wrote: "Going, going, gone ...
“It appears we just got Banksy-ed,” Alex Branczik, the auction house’s head of European contemporary art, said after the sale. “He is arguably the greatest British street artist, and tonight we saw a little piece of Banksy genius.”
Girl With Balloon first appeared on a wall in east London, The Guardian reported. The 2006 gallery version featured spray paint and acrylic on canvas, mounted on a board.
Banksy's identity has never been officially revealed. He is noted for a series of satirical graffiti pieces that appeared on buildings in the United Kingdom, the BBC reported.