Banksy artwork self-destructs after it auctions for $1.4 million.

Banksy’s Girl With Balloon before it was shredded.

One of Banksy’s best known works of art ended up going through a shredder on Friday, October 5, just seconds after it auctioned for a whopping $1.4 million.

As the auctioneer’s hammer came down on Banksy’s Girl With Balloon stencil at Sotheby’s in London, the artwork began making a strange noise, catching the attention of those gathered in the room. What happened next took everyone by surprise.

The picture began passing slowly through a shredder built into the frame, ruining it for whoever had just made the winning bid. About halfway through, the machine stopped operating, leaving a portion of the artwork in shreds dangling below the frame. The rest of it remained intact, still inside the frame.

By Trevor Mogg.

Full story at Digital Trends.