News / Banksy

Banksy's 'Vote to Love' Placard Sells for Over One Million at Sotheby's

12 Feb 2020

One of Banksy's most timely Brexit-themed works, 'Vote to Love' went under the hammer at Sotheby's on the evening of February 11 to incredible results. The vandalised placard, which had been on display at the 2018 Royal Academy's Summer Exhibition, sold for £1,115,000. Read below for all we know...

Last night, saw Banksy's 'Vote to Love' go under the hammer at Sotheby's London contemporary and evening auction to impressive results. Estimated at £400,000 to £600,000 the piece went on to sell for £1,115,000. The piece is a defacedplacard with a heart-shaped balloon spray-painted turning the word leave to love.The Sotheby’s listing detailed it as “spray paint on UKIP placard mounted on board” with “striking simplicity and raw immediacy".

Apart from the piece's connection to Britain's political history, the artwork also has an interesting story of its own. 'Vote to Love' was originally submitted by Banksy to the Royal Academy's Summer Exhibition in 2018, under the pseudonym Bryan S. Gaakman, and was rejected.It was only when Grayson Perry, who was curating the show, contacted Banksy for a piece, and the work was resubmitted under his own name, that it was accepted into the show. It was satirically valued at £350 million in reference to the Vote Leave campaign’s infamous, retracted claim about how much Brexit would generate for the NHS.

A hopeful reminder in post-Brexit Britain these results can also be seen as proof that Banksy’s work not only remains relevant but that his market is as strong as ever.As always thank you for reading.

Till next time,

Hang-Up Team.