It looks like Banksy intended to shred the whole of Girl with Balloon

If you’ve spent any time deep in forum holes discussing the events of Oct 5, you’ll know that the internet is still raging on about whether or not Banksy really meant to shred Girl and Balloon. Now, Banksy has posted a video that might serve at least one answer to the question that conspiracy theorists have been asking. Did he mean to shred the whole thing?

A new video shared on Banksy’s website, titled Shred the Love, the directors cut appears to suggest that he did. It appears to show that he did in fact, aim to shred the whole painting, but there was a technical glitch. The three minute short sees the process of making a contraption in the frame that would self shred. It then moves on to the clinking glasses of the Sotheby’s auction, as people laugh, mill around, enjoy canapés and discuss the Banksy work, before the now viral-scene where shock sweeps through the room at what happens next. But the film goes further, showing what looks like a detonator, and the words on the screen: “In rehearsals it worked every time”, followed by a shot of the full work being destroyed. So, it seems maybe it went wrong after all.

It’s still unclear as to whether Banksy was in actual attendance, whether Sotheby’s was involved, or why people are still so invested in this story on Reddit, but what we do know is that the unknown buyer has decided to buy it anyway, though the piece is now called, Love is in the Bin.