We've discussed FOMO at length. But, yesterday, New Yorkers took their fear of missing out to a whole new level when they fought off every rational thought and purchased 40 pieces of fake Banksy art.
Artists Dave Cicirelli and Lance Pilgrim set up a booth in the exact same place where the real Banksy attempted to sell his real art last week. The artists filmed their experiment, just like Banksy did. While Banksy only managed to sell eight pieces for a $420 profit, the faux Banksy duo — we'll call them Faksy — not only sold all 40 pieces, but they were completely transparent that the art was not authentic. In fact, each piece came with a "Certificate of Inauthenticity."
Why, then, were New Yorkers so eager to buy up the all the fake canvases? Especially, when Banksy himself promised his art booth was a once-off, never to happen again.
We're inclined to think that the buyers just couldn't resist the idea that maybe Banksy was playing a trick on them, and that these would later turn out to be real. But, the artists have a different point of view. Faksy said they "wanted to complete [Banksy's] statement about the nature of hype and the value of art." Even when all the pieces had sold out, a lingering customer bought up the stenciled sign reading "Fake Banksy." Regardless, it's clear that the graffiti artist's residency in New York has taken its toll on the locals. (The Verge)
Photo: Via The Verge.