A group of artists and art enthusiasts recently unveiled a project called The Missing Balloon, through which they want to explore the way society values art. They intend to do that with an intriguing art stunt.
Back in 2023, the group acquired an original print of Girl with Balloon artwork created by famous street artist Banksy for $97,000. They then went on to lock the proof of authenticity and removed the number of the print before meticulously working on replicating the piece until even an art expert couldn’t tell the difference.
They made 299 prints of the fake Girl with Balloon and will sell them for $500 each alongside the original. This means that one of 300 buyers will get the original but will have no way of knowing it.
“By replicating the print and concealing the provenance, all 300 prints are rendered equal. Any of the 300 people could have the original, but there is no way to tell. Which begs the question, are they ALL by Banksy or is NONE by Banksy?” it says on The Missing Balloon’s official website.
Those interested in taking part in the stunt can sign up on the official website. The group will select 300 buyers at random from the email list in the summer of 2024.
