Banksy, the acclaimed anonymous British street artist, has offered to auction a piece of his artwork in an effort to raise funds for the UK’s National Health Service (NHS), the media reported on Monday.
The artwork, called ‘Game Changer’, appeared at the Southampton General Hospital in May 2020 when the country was under the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.
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It shows a young boy kneeling by a wastepaper basket with a discarded Spiderman and Batman model figures in favor of a new favorite action hero – an NHS nurse who is wearing a facemask, a cape, and an apron with the Red Cross emblem (the only element of color in the picture).
The artist left a note for hospital workers, which read: “Thanks for all you’re doing. I hope this brightens the place up a bit, even if its only black and white.”
According to the London-based Christie’s auction house, the artwork has a pre-sale estimate of between 2.5 million pounds to 3.5 million pounds, the BBC reported.
In a statement, Katharine Arnold, Co-Head of Post-War and Contemporary Art, Europe at Christie’s, said: “‘Game Changer’ is a universal tribute to all those fighting worldwide on the frontline of this crisis.
“The work pays tribute to the strength and resilience of those who have demonstrated true leadership throughout the pandemic, the staff of our vital NHS.”
Starting Monday, ‘Game Changer’ will go on display at the auction house’s London Headquarters until March 15.
The auction is scheduled for March 23.
