‘I don’t have it as art. We have it as a balloon’: NYPD not amused by Banksy
New York authorities have been left unimpressed after a month-long Banksy 'residency' in the city led to several arrests and the confiscation of the street artist's work.
Banksy ended his month with a flourish, sticking inflatable letters which read 'BANKSY!' on the side of a building in Long Island City, Queens, but authorities confiscated the letters.
They did not even seem interested in selling the work at auction, despite estimates putting its value at up to £186,000.
"I don't have it as art on the invoice," deputy chief Jack J. Trabitz, commanding officer of the property clerk division, told the New York Times.
"We have it as a balloon.
"The item description is never changed. You can't redescribe it. It’s a balloon."
The balloons were found on the side of the building on the morning of October 31st, triggering crowds outside.
Several men climbed ladders to retrieve the balloons at around midday.
Police arrested three men for trespassing and criminal mischief and took the balloons themselves.
The men reportedly said they were trying to secure the balloons so they could go in a museum.
