Banksy’s ‘Game Changer’ painting sold for 22.4 billion won

“Game Changer” by England-based street artist Banksy has sold for the highest price for a work by the artist. According to the Reuters on Monday, the painting was sold for £16.8 million at Christie's in London. The proceeds from the auction will be donated to a medical facility in the U.K.

“Game Changer” is a black and white painting of a young boy playing with a doll dressed as a nurse. Batman and Spiderman action figures are discarded in a trash bin in the background. It seems as if the painting is delivering a message that healthcare workers fighting the coronavirus are the true heroes.

The painting came under spotlight as Banksy donated the work to a hospital. When COVID-19 was in full swing in the U.K. in May last year, Banksy sent the painting to Southampton Hospital with a note that read: “Thanks for all you’re doing. I hope this brightens the place up a bit, even if it’s only black and white.” The painting was hung near the emergency department but will be replaced with a reproduction after the sale.

“Game Changer” is one of many pandemic works by the pseudonymous artist. In August last year, Banksy painted rats wearing face masks in a London subway. But the artwork was removed because it violated the London Underground’s “strict anti-graffiti policy.”In December last year, Banksy painted a sneezing woman on the wall of a house in Bristol.


Min Kim kimmin@donga.com