Massive Attack auctioning off rare Banksy prints for charity
Two Banksy pieces are being auctioned off for charity, and both come from the collection of Bristol trip hop icons Massive Attack. The prints — ‘I Fought The Law’ and ‘Bomb Middle England’ — were donated by the band's Grant “Daddy G” Marshall, and proceeds will go to Temwa (which helps provide food security, water, sanitation and education in northern Malawi) and Aid Box Community (which supports refugees and people seeking asylum in Bristol).
“When we heard about the government funding Temwa lost earlier this year with the UK aid cuts, and the importance of the work Temwa does in Malawi, we felt compelled to help,” said Marshall. Temwa lost a £250,000 grant due to cuts in the UK government's aid budget.
Both Banksy items are expected to fetch £100,000 each, and are part of the "Contemporary Charity Art Auction" hosted by Vanguard Auctions. The auction happens today, and you can view all the items up for bid here.
Massive Attack and Banksy's worlds are fairly intertwined, to the point where a lot of people theorize that the anonymous artist is in fact the group's Robert Del Naja, aka 3D, though he's denied it, saying, “It would be a good story but sadly not true. Wishful thinking, I think.”
Check out both Banksy pieces up for auction below.
Check out photos from Massive Attack's 2019 "Mezzanine XXI" show at Radio City Music Hall