Banksy safety vest auctioned for around 877,000 francs
Published: Thursday, Oct 10th 2024, 11:30
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A safety vest with an image of the British flag by street artist Banksy has been auctioned in London for the equivalent of 877,000 Swiss francs. This was announced by the auction house Sotheby's.
The piece is part of a series of five stab-proof vests that Banksy made from pieces of old police equipment to draw attention to the widespread knife violence in the UK.
"Banksy has succeeded in an inimitable way in condensing a complex social problem into one object," said auctioneer Emma Baker. The protective vest was estimated in advance to be worth the equivalent of around 337,000 Swiss francs, more than double expectations.
The Banksy vests became famous following a performance by British rapper Stormzy at the Glastonbury Festival in 2019, where he wore one of them on stage. This made the vest a "symbol of a decisive cultural moment", said auctioneer Baker.
©Keystone/SDA
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