Banksy artwork sale halted by museum guerrilla stunt

Banksy said that he chose GoMA as the location for the exhibition – revealed to the world exclusively by The Herald – as it featured his favourite piece of British art immediately outside, in the famous Duke of Wellington statue with the traffic cone on his head.

The exhibition proved to be a record-breaking success, attracting over 180,000 attendees from across the globe during its 10-week run. It also, along with the UCI Cycling World Championships, significantly boosted tourism in Glasgow, contributing to a substantial increase in visitor numbers and spending in 2023. 

Now, two years after “Cut & Run” ended its run in Glasgow, GoMA has channelled Banksy to prevent a nearby art gallery from selling work he produced for the exhibition with a significant markup.

Artwork for ‘CUT & RUN’(Image: Banksy)

It came after Clarendon Fine Art Glasgow, located in Royal Exchange Square, advertised “Cut & Run” posters for sale in its shop window and on its website.

The set of two A2-sized posters, which were exclusive to GoMA, were listed for sale for the price of £750 each at the art gallery – despite being available to purchase for £15 as a pair from the GoMA gift shop less than 200 ft (60 metres) away. 

Rather than as ‘posters’, the listing on the gallery’s website described them as “limited edition prints”. It read: “Offset lithographic print in colours on satin paper. Published by Gallery of Modern Art, Glasgow. This artwork is sold framed. Sold with a Valuation Certificate.”

Clarendon Fine Art was founded in 2010 by Helen Swaby with the mission to “make art accessible and less intimidating by challenging the traditional elitism of the art world”. 

Starting as a single gallery in London’s Mayfair, the company now has over 80 galleries in the UK – with plans to expand internationally.

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Prior to the Glasgow gallery space opening in July, Clarendon Fine Art said it was “set to become a vibrant cultural destination for art lovers and collectors alike”.

Window signage, which appeared ahead of the gallery opening, teased some of the artwork which visitors would be available to purchase, including works by Banksy, Dalí, The Connor Brothers, Mr Brainwash and Damien Hirst. 

After learning that Clarendon Fine Art Glasgow was advertising “Cut & Run” posters for sale at 5000% their actual value, GoMA engaged in a guerrilla marketing campaign. 

Both “Cut & Run” posters appeared in a GoMA window directly facing the gallery, under which arrows pointed to the GoMA entrance alongside text which read: “Only £15 at the GoMA shop”.

A few days later, Clarendon Fine Art Glasgow removed the posters from its gallery window, along with an advert for a Banksy “Di-Faced Tenner” – a counterfeit £10 note created in 2004 where the portrait of Queen Elizabeth is replaced with that of Princess Diana. 

“Cut & Run” posters appeared in a GoMA window directly facing the gallery(Image: Newsquest)

Despite this, the posters remained listed for sale on its website, with the price for each listed as POA (Price on Application).

After being approached by The Herald to query the price of the posters, Clarendon Fine Art Glasgow removed the listings from its website. 

The Herald has since learned that Clarendon Fine Art, the wider gallery group, has removed all Banksy artwork listings from its site.

Clarendon Fine Art declined to comment when approached by The Herald. 

A spokesperson for Glasgow Life, which operates Glasgow’s museums and galleries, including the GoMA, told The Herald: “Cut & Run was an unforgettable exhibition in the history of the GoMA. Merchandise including posters and books are available in the gallery shop and online at the original retail prices with the proceeds supporting the work of GoMA.”

Despite intense speculation, Banksy’s identity remains unknown. He began his career as a freehand graffiti artist in the early 1990s – as part Bristol’s graffiti gang DryBreadZ Crew – before rising to prominence thanks to his provocative stencilled pieces a few years later.

Since then, Banksy’s street art has conquered city streets, buildings and gallery walls around the world from Paris, London, Venice and New York to Palestine, Timbuktu and Ukraine.

Earlier this month, a new Banksy mural appeared on an external wall of the Royal Courts of Justice complex in London. The image depicted a protester lying on the ground holding a blood-spattered placard, while a judge, in a wig and gown, looms over him, wielding a gavel.

The artist confirmed he was responsible for the work with a post on Instagram, showing the graffiti before it was covered over. The artist captioned the pictures: “Royal Courts Of Justice. London.”

The mural was interpreted as a comment on the arrest of almost 900 demonstrators for protesting against the banning of Palestine Action as a terror group in central London.