Massive Attack has auctioned off two rare prints by enigmatic UK street artist Banksy, generating over £140,000 for charity.
I Fought The Law and Bomb Middle England were purchased for £71,000 and £70,000, respectively, for the two works. The street art collective Vanguard staged the sale, which greatly exceeded the expectations of £100,000 for both pieces.
The items were donated by band member Grant ‘Daddy G’ Marshall, and the proceeds will benefit Aid Box Community (ABC) and Temwa. The latter works in northern Malawi on water, food security, sanitation, and education, and lost a £250,000 funding as a result of the UK’s £4 billion cut to its yearly aid budget.
According to an organization’s spokeswoman, the funds will be utilized to acquire fruit and agroforestry trees. Meanwhile, ABC, a Bristol-based humanitarian group focused on the refugee crisis, will utilize the funds to provide help and supplies to asylum seekers.
Last year, Banksy — whose true identity is unknown, but some believe he is the alter-ego of Massive Attack’s Robert ‘3D’ Del Naja — funded a boat to rescue refugees trying to enter Europe via the Mediterranean, a trek that is believed to have led to 40,555 deaths between 1993 and 2020. The vessel is named after the French feminist and anarchist Louise Michel.
