Banksy's 'Battle to Survive a Broken Heart' to Be Auctioned in New York

A monumental piece by the elusive British street artist Banksy, titled Battle to Survive a Broken Heart, is currently on public display at the Winter Garden in Brookfield Place, New York City. This 6-by-9-foot mural, weighing approximately 7,500 pounds, features a red, heart-shaped balloon adorned with bandages. Originally painted in 2013 on the exterior wall of a warehouse in Brooklyn's Red Hook neighborhood, the artwork was created after the building's owner, Vassilios Georgiadis, offered assistance to a stranger who turned out to be Banksy.LiveAuctioneers+4Brookfield Place New York | BFPL+4Patch+4

Shortly after its creation, the mural was defaced by another graffiti artist known as Omar NYC. In a rare move, Banksy returned to the site to restore and modify the piece, marking the only known instance of the artist revisiting and altering his own work. To preserve the artwork, Georgiadis had the section of the wall containing the mural removed and stored in a climate-controlled facility. Following Georgiadis's passing due to heart disease, his family decided to auction the piece, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting the American Heart Association.6sqft+2Brookfield Place New York | BFPL+2The Art Newspaper+2

The mural will remain on display at Brookfield Place until May 21, when it will be auctioned live on-site by Guernsey's auction house. This event offers art enthusiasts and collectors a unique opportunity to own a significant piece of contemporary street art history while supporting a charitable cause.CBS News+3Brookfield Place New York | BFPL+3The Art Newspaper+3