Painting that shred itself - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: ivan747
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 08, 2018, 01:41:38 am
content: So graffiti artist Bansky secretly built a shredder into a painting in case it was ever auctioned. This was back in 2006, and yesterday the painting went into auction. Watch the video, pretty impressive stuff, considering that the batteries lasted for 12 years. I wish there were more details on the electronics side of it (does anybody know more about this?)https://www.theverge.com/2018/10/7/17947744/banksy-ballon-girl-artwork-self-destructed-sothbysSent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

author: coppercone2
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 08, 2018, 01:50:44 am
content: this is like a plot for 24

author: Red Squirrel
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 08, 2018, 01:58:01 am
content: Wow did not realize it was 12 years later. I wonder what caused the shredding to be activated? Like how did it detect when is a good time to do it? That's pretty interesting concept nonetheless. Not something you expect to happen when you just paid over a mil for an art piece. Meh, rich people, that's like being screwed over by a vending machine for them.

author: coppercone2
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 08, 2018, 02:01:17 am
content: it was probobly watched and RF triggeredthe battery bank went low so it stopped half way I figure. They can fix it.Maybe on purpose so its repairable.

author: tsman
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 08, 2018, 02:02:02 am
content: IMO it is all a big stunt that the auctioneers and Banksy are in on. There are far too many things overlooked and odd with the story. Did nobody in all these years wonder why this picture frame is really heavy and unbalanced for no obvious reason? Why there is a mystery slot in the bottom?The shredded pieces dangling out the bottom look remarkably clean cut for something that is supposedly canvas and cut by pulling it over a row of hidden scalpel blades. It may not even be the actual canvas and may be a precut piece being unrolled out the bottom whilst the real canvas is rolled up inside.Quote from: Red Squirrel on October 08, 2018, 01:58:01 amSome of his crew were present at the auction so if it was real and not a stunt then any of them could have carried a remote for it.

author: ivan747
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 08, 2018, 02:02:53 am
content: Quote from: Red Squirrel on October 08, 2018, 01:58:01 amBansky is an anonymous artist, so the rumor has it that he went to the auction with a remote and activated it at the right moment.Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

author: coppercone2
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 08, 2018, 02:03:46 am
content: if it was tensioned with a bunch strings on a little roller that pulled it into the blades I think you can cut canvas with good quality laser sharpened blades that have never been used.he could have sanded the back of the painting too to weaken it.

author: Tomorokoshi
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 08, 2018, 02:24:01 am
content: Planned obsolescence?

author: Bud
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 08, 2018, 02:33:07 am
content: Quote from: ivan747 on October 08, 2018, 02:02:53 amIf you go to the auction you are not that anonymous anymore

author: Bud
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 08, 2018, 02:40:33 am
content: It is same type of controversial implant story as the Chinese chip one. Some graffiti artist at the same time a mechanical guru and quite familiar with electronics? Where Sotbeys security were? What if narcotics or worse were stuffed in the frame?

author: David Hess
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 08, 2018, 05:25:57 am
content: With some good lithium primary cells it is certainly possible to power something like that for 10+ years. Average power draw while periodically checking for a signal could be only 10s of microamps. I would be a little worried about false triggering unless some care was used.I also wondered if the original art is between rollers and a cut up version was just extruded. I like the idea that the aged batteries were not enough to finish the job.

author: CJay
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 08, 2018, 06:40:01 am
content: Great publicity stunt and it's now worth more than it ever was before.

author: helius
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 08, 2018, 06:47:14 am
content: Quote from: Bud on October 08, 2018, 02:40:33 amOdd as it seems, "some graffiti artist" these days are extremely ambitious and sophisticated.The (one or several) known as "Banksy" has produced "art" such as these:dismaland.co.uk/walledoffhotel.com/

author: Mr. Scram
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 08, 2018, 08:00:25 am
content: Quote from: Bud on October 08, 2018, 02:40:33 amAn auction means you buy stuff from other people. Unless the painting is being authenticated by an expert, nobody's going to check it out in great detail. Better yet, there are known instances of police selling impounded cars with narcotics or money still in them. It's an imperfect world, no matter how panicked we get about deviation.The electronics and being there isn't unlikely, as both are easily solved by recruiting some help.

author: Zero999
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 08, 2018, 08:32:54 am
content: I'm surprised he used batteries to power the shredder. I would have gone with clockwork and only use electronics to fire a solenoid to release the spring.

author: mrpackethead
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 08, 2018, 08:55:12 am
content: After it was sold, and no longer his property, would deliberately causing it to be damaged be a crime.

author: Zero999
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 08, 2018, 09:17:20 am
content: Quote from: mrpackethead on October 08, 2018, 08:55:12 amYes, unless the purchaser knew about it beforehand.

author: Mr. Scram
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 08, 2018, 09:48:05 am
content: Quote from: mrpackethead on October 08, 2018, 08:55:12 amIt was part of the artwork all along, even if it was unknown to the buyer.

author: PointyOintment
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 08, 2018, 01:19:28 pm
content: Good discussion in the Hackaday comments, covering mechanism, real vs. fake shredding, power consumption, battery chemistry, legality, auction house having to be involved, etc.:https://hackaday.com/2018/10/07/banksys-barely-believable-batteries/

author: wilfred
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 09, 2018, 05:31:53 am
content: In the pictures of the half shredded painting you can see that the shredded portion has what looks like a kink where it may have been around a roller or at least a non straight path. I doubt the paper that is shredded is the same as the one displayed in the frame. I suspect it is rolled up inside the frame and a second one is ejected. Also from the side view it doesn't look to be directly well lined up as it should be if it was ejected straight out past a shredder.The paper colour looks a bit different too.

author: Psi
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 09, 2018, 06:14:36 am
content: You could totally get 12 years using a primary lithium to run a BLE beacon.Something like a 'Tile', they run for a year on a CR2032 and can respond within a second or two of you clicking the button in the android app.The device would then switch on a second primary lithium to power the shredder

author: David Hess
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 09, 2018, 05:32:36 pm
content: Quote from: wilfred on October 09, 2018, 05:31:53 amI agree that is the most likely situation. The assembly video shows the blades aligned at a right angle to the paper path which would never work. Maybe that was just part of the planning and the final configuration was different but the video does not show it.An alternative, assuming that the blades were oriented correctly, is that the lower part of the canvas was preloaded past the shredder blades for reliability and therefor started out wrapped around the lower roller.QuoteThat part of the canvas would not have been exposed to light for 12 years.

author: Cyberdragon
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 10, 2018, 06:02:05 am
content: Quote from: Psi on October 09, 2018, 06:14:36 amCouldn't have been BLE, it wasn't released 'till October 2006 and Android was still a prototype back then. You have to remember in the world of digital tech how long ago 12 years was.

author: PointyOintment
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 10, 2018, 08:48:47 am
content: Quote from: Cyberdragon on October 10, 2018, 06:02:05 amI thought it couldn't possibly be that long ago, so I looked it up. Turns out that it was released under the name Wibree in October 2006, and then officially became part of Bluetooth in 2010.

author: frozenfrogz
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: October 10, 2018, 01:40:13 pm
content: I am voting for a planned publicity stunt.If you look at the footage of the auction, take a close look at the auctioneer starting to try keeping a straight face, but having to smile before seeming to push a button.

author: Brumby
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 10, 2018, 02:56:46 pm
content: The smile wouldn't have anything to do with selling a lot for several hundred thousand more than anticipated, would it?Sotheby's commission being significantly greater is no cause for a smile, is it? No - that would be silly.

author: station240
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 12, 2018, 08:07:53 am
content: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-10-12/banksy-artwork-buyer-goes-through-with-purchase/10367924QuoteQuoteQuote

author: Urs42
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: October 18, 2018, 05:53:37 am
content: Banksy posted a new Video with a lot more details about the shredder

author: Siwastaja
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 18, 2018, 06:00:03 am
content: Quote from: Urs42 on October 18, 2018, 05:53:37 amAt 0:16, they really know how to do these videos.Some pro multi-level trolling going on.

author: ebastler
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 18, 2018, 06:06:40 am
content: Quote from: Siwastaja on October 18, 2018, 06:00:03 amOuch... Where's the smoke?

author: CJay
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: October 18, 2018, 07:46:12 am
content: Quote from: Siwastaja on October 18, 2018, 06:00:03 amAs I stated earlier, *huge* publicity stunt.

author: Gary350z
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 18, 2018, 12:30:20 pm
content: https://youtu.be/vxkwRNIZgdYWith the metal shredder and all the heavy hardware in this frame, no one noticed this is way too heavy for a picture this size!!See the look on the face of the woman closest to the painting.