As you may have seen, Banksy donated a thrift-store-style painting to the Housing Works store on East 23rd Street ... it was a painting that he apparently purchased earlier for $50. But he added the Nazi solider sitting on the bench ... and titled it "The banality of the banality of evil" (an homage to the writer/philosopher Hannah Arendt).
For their part, Housing Works, which has operated scatter-site housing, harm reduction services and a supportive residence and primary care clinic for homeless NYers with HIV/AIDS since 1991, put the work up for auction.
The auction ended last night. The winning bid? $615,000.
"100 percent of the proceeds will go to provide housing, health care and other life saving services to homeless NYers living with HIV/AIDS," East Village resident Andrew Coamey, senior vice president for Housing Development and Chief Financial Officer at Housing Works, told me.
Meanwhile, Banksy Month in NYC is over. The Vulture ranks all his work during his street residency.
6 comments:
I really love this. What an excellent way to use his art.
Housing Works is a great charity! Congrats to them and the people they help!
Agreed with Anon 12:04. This was a great idea.
In New York you can put a Nazi on something and just call it art
Housing Works sure banksy on that painting. Yes, I just said that. Aren't I punny?
Congrats Andrew!
I was the other bidder, the painting did not sell for 615k. Please see my comments in the Guardian, or see my open letter to Banksy at www.williamemling.com Hopefully by shedding light on this others will step in with donations to benefit Housing Works. As for the fake bids? Right down to the back story of the painting was false. Matt called me and told me the whole story.
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