Abstract

In mid-February a Banksy mural called "Slave Labour" was mysteriously extracted from the wall of a building in north London (UK), transported to Miami (USA) and enlisted in the catalogue of an auction house (Fine Arts Auction Miami). The community of Haringey, the borough where the mural was originally located, formally protested and asked for its restitution. As a result, on February 23 this artwork was withdrawn from the sale. Nevertheless, a few months later, it was brought back to London and re-auctioned on June 2 by a different organization named Sincura Group. This article provides an in-depth analysis of the legal questions raised by this case and proposes an evaluation of the potential impact of this story on the future of street art.