Shortly after the work appeared on the door last year, Banksy posted a picture of the mural on his Instagram account and confirmed that it was one of his works. Banksy's works are hotly sought after by both collectors and private individuals and a work by the artist discovered on a garage wall in Wales was recently sold for a six-digit amount.
But of course, the work cannot be valued in money alone - the door has become a sort of memorial visited by the families of the victims. In a statement on their Twitter account, representatives of Le Bataclan wrote, "Today we are filled with a deep sense of indignation. Banksy's work, a symbol of reflection that belongs to everyone - residents, Parisians and world citizens - has been taken away from us."
L’œuvre de @originaIbanksy hommage aux victimes du 13/11 a été volée. pic.twitter.com/FMHoobzRXm
— Bataclan (@bataclan_) January 26, 2019
This is not the first time a public work by the artist has been stolen. In 2013, Banksy's Slave Labor was stolen from its original location in London to later appear in Miami at auction. However, the work was withdrawn from the auction and returned to the UK.
Banksy himself has repeatedly urged people not to buy the art he intended for the public, believing that street art should remain on the street.
