The video above is your only clue. Your mission, if you choose to accept it: find this signed and authenticated print of Banksy’s “No Ball Games” within the next 30 days at one of the Art Series hotel chains — snatch it without getting nabbed and it’s yours to keep. The piece is stashed somewhere in the Melbourne area and worth $15,000 Australian.
Be warned, the artwork moves from hotel to hotel during the promotion’s run so you’ll either need to live out of a suitcase for the next month or excel at casing. Oh, and you’ll need to be a guest at the hotel.
According to the hotel chain, the contest is being held to commemorate when, ” in 2007, a group of bandits removed a section of a wall with an angle grinder because Banksy had stencilled around the ‘No Ball Games’ sign on it. The wall was later found on ebay for sale for 20,000 pounds.” [Art Series Hotels]
Jonathan
Wednesday, December 14, 2011 at 5:28 PM$US15,000AU??
adam
Wednesday, December 14, 2011 at 5:31 PMWell we are near parity at the moment so it would be worth about the same but yes that does need to be fixed.
Leo
Wednesday, December 14, 2011 at 5:32 PMDude, you forgot to mention that you have to be staying as a guest in the hotel at the time you steal it. Otherwise it doesn’t officially count as winning the competition, it’s just stolen art. :p
Danny Allen
Wednesday, December 14, 2011 at 5:41 PMBoth Fixed. Thx!
Drew
Thursday, December 15, 2011 at 11:49 AMYou don’t keep it after stealing it… Sadly you do need to give it back.
Lord Crumplebottom
Wednesday, December 14, 2011 at 6:22 PMI already stole it last week. This one is a fake.
Yeah, I’ve seen the Ocean’s films too often…
Aliasalpha
Wednesday, December 14, 2011 at 6:26 PMOkay I’m going to need a fast car, some balaclavas, assault rifles, flashbangs and 3 expendable chumps…
WhiteDaemon666
Wednesday, December 14, 2011 at 10:23 PMWell, thanks for volunteering. Now I only need two expendable chumps.
Jason
Wednesday, December 14, 2011 at 6:51 PMThey’re going to be in a bit of a sh#t storm, if someone rolls on into that hotel with a shot gun and tries to steal that painting…….
“But I was just doing what they asked? They even gave me permission”
Crazy marketing idea. (not good crazy).
Corteks
Wednesday, December 14, 2011 at 7:21 PMThis competition sounds kind of amazing!
morgs
Wednesday, December 14, 2011 at 8:25 PMwith only 3 hotels (hardly worthy of being called a ‘hotel chain’ but that’s irrelevant) I can’t imagine it’d be too hard for an intelligent person… but how do they actually give you the rights to it without catching you with it and how do you know they wont just call the police saying “some jackass stole our artwork” and get them to arrest you using the GPS device hidden in it?
sounds awesome, but suspicious… would like to know the legalities about a comp like this…
Puffinfresh
Wednesday, December 14, 2011 at 9:30 PMI know plenty of places where I can get expensive art for free… if I can steal it.
Jack
Wednesday, December 14, 2011 at 9:57 PMNeal Caffrey would love this…
Mattusso
Wednesday, December 14, 2011 at 10:10 PMthere are 3 hotels listed at artserieshotels.com.au… the cleaners (maids) wear full black clothing (I havent stayed at a Melbourne hotel in ages so Im not sure if that varies too much).. shouldnt be too hard I dont think… take note of the lighting fixture and what looks to be a red gown or red towel on the cleaning cart, take a day/night off work and build a report of each of the hotels.. pitty i dont live near Melbourne anymore..
Vaporeon
Thursday, December 15, 2011 at 12:07 AMThis is both awesome, but stupid at the same time. Fine print so you can’t just get arrested and look like a jackass?
kzd
Thursday, December 15, 2011 at 9:47 AMSooo do they exchange it for cash when you return it? Or….
ATM I bet there are like 5 people camping in the hallway, and on the ends of those hallways are 8 security guards + 2 snipers.
Just This Guy ...
Thursday, December 15, 2011 at 2:52 PM” snatch it without getting nabbed and it’s yours to keep ”
Well that pretty much applies to anything, anywhere and any time doesn’t it?
Just sayin’ :)
IJustKnowStuff
Thursday, December 15, 2011 at 3:19 PMI’m pretty sure enticing illicit behavior is illegal. Probably wrong but…