The great thing about Banksy’s art is that it can appear almost anywhere, from the wall of a gallery to a wall in the middle of nowhere. But Banksy’s painting with a built-in paper shredder isn’t the only one that’s more than a little ephemeral. Consider 2014’s Spy Booth, consisting of three espionage-minded figures on either side of a phone booth in Cheltenham. Given its interaction with the environment around it, its distinctive sense of humor and its criticism of governmental surveillance, the painting quickly clicked with viewers.
Two years later, the house went up for sale and was heavily renovated — leading many to fear that the mural was gone for good. But much like a good secret agent, the trio of surveillance experts depicted in the artwork didn’t permanently disappear.
Now, the multimedia company Cosmic Wire has revived Spy Booth in multiple forms. The company is offering nine bricks — all that remains of the mural — as well as an NFT inspired by the original artwork.
“We wanted to pay homage to the original Spy Booth, so we created a new piece of digital art based on what remains of the wall,” said Jerad Finck, the CEO of Cosmic Wire. The auction is set to take place on October 1.
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