A Banksy artwork set a world record earlier this month at International Art Centre, fetching a whopping $126,000 – twice what is was predicted to reach.
The work, Have A Nice Day, was expected to fetch $60,000 at a sale of collectable art at the International Art Centre, in Parnell.
To the auction house’s delight, a bout of spirited bidding saw the buyer, an unidentified New Zealander, shell out $126,000 for the military-themed work which was created nearly 20 years ago.
The sale price was the most ever paid for a print of Have A Nice Day, of which there was a limited issue of authentic copies.
International Art Centre director Richard Thomson said inquiries about Have A Nice Day had come from around the world.
He confirmed it went to an unidentified New Zealand buyer.
Have A Nice Day features 27 military police or riot police, all dressed in black riot gear and standing on either side of a tank. Each is wearing a yellow smiley face, which Banksy often uses to portray figures that use fear as a means of control. At the bottom of the print is the message: Have A Nice Day.
It is the third time the International Art Centre has achieved a world record price for Banksy works this year following sales in August and June.
