Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Arts & Entertainment
Video: Fake Banksy Stand In Central Park Sells Out Of Pieces In One Hour
By
Jen Carlson
Published Oct 21, 2013
Modified Oct 21, 2013
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jen Carlson
Published Oct 21, 2013
Modified Oct 21, 2013
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
On October 12th Banksy set up a stand at Central Park South and 59th Street, selling original artwork for $60 a pop (even though each piece is worth hundreds of thousands)—at the end of the day, he made $420, selling work to just three people. He stated on his website that this was a one-off thing, and he would not be setting up a stand again... so naturally, someone else did.
One week later a group got together and sold replicas of the works at the same price, from the same location as Banksy—"everything was the same," except that they loudly advertised the pieces as FAKE. Each was even delivered with a certificate of inauthenticity. They posted a video today from their experiment (which they made $2,400 off of), saying: "we saw an opportunity for a little mischief, and a chance to make a statement about the nature of hype, public personas, and the value of art."
Even though they were open about the pieces being fakes—"our sign said 'Fake Banksy,' Mike assured every customer that it was fake"—they sold out in less than an hour. Unless, of course, the video is fake. And don't forget that "reality" itself is a bogus construct created by our deceitful senses and enslaved minds.
Tagged
banksy
central park
fakesy
Jen Carlson
Jen Carlson is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE arts-entertainment
Will Barnes and Noble in the East Village spell doom for smaller shops? It's complicated.
Independent booksellers are grappling with whether the big-box chain is a threat or an ally in the fight against Amazon.
By
Sonia Rao
Published Oct 16, 2026
Can eligible NYC singles find love with 30 minutes and some really spicy food?
We went to the Spiciest Supper Club singles night to take the temperature of New York City's dating scene.
By
Elizabeth Shwe
and
James Ramsay
Arts & Entertainment
Can eligible NYC singles find love with 30 minutes and some really spicy food?
We went to the Spiciest Supper Club singles night to take the temperature of New York City's dating scene.
By
Elizabeth Shwe
and
James Ramsay
How the NYC Marathon has changed in the last 50 years
By
Hannah Frishberg
A visit to Art of Play, the Brooklyn store in an animatronic bird beef with Kelly Clarkson
By
Sonia Rao
The hottest way to show you're an authentic New Yorker is… riding a Citi Bike?
By
Lindsay Lee Wallace
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .