A famous work of the British street artist Banksy is coming to the Museum of Contemporary Art Taipei (MoCA). The work, named “Love is in the Bin,” is notable for its built-in self-destruction mechanism.
The work was originally a framed canvas featuring a version of Banksy’s well-known image “Girl with Balloon.” Immediately upon being sold at the auction house Sotheby’s in 2018, a shredder built into the frame began destroying the canvas but was halted when the canvas was only partially shredded. Both Sotheby’s and the buyer claimed not to have been aware of the device.
The halfway destroyed work was renamed “Love is in the Bin,” and was sold at auction for an even greater sum of US$25 million in 2021. The collector who bought the piece is now taking it on an international tour, with the first stop being MoCA Taipei.
MoCA Director Li-Chen Loh (駱麗真) says that MoCA may have been chosen as the first destination for the tour because of its history of featuring works aimed at current social issues. She says works displayed at MoCA share common themes with Banksy’s work, such as human rights, anti-capitalism, and freedom of speech.
The work will be on exhibit at MoCA Taipei from July 1 to August 13, 2023. Admission is free but priority access will be given to those who make online reservations.