Banksy’s Dream Boat Sculpture Depicting Refugees Expected to Fetch Millions at Context Miami in December 2022

Banksy’s Dream Boat Sculpture Depicting Refugees Expected to Fetch Millions at Context Miami in December 2022

• In Line With the Piece’s Message, a Significant Portion of the Proceeds Will Go to Choose Love, an Organization Working to Provide Support to Refugees Around the World

Miami, November 1, 2022

S16 Gallery and Ballon Rouge Art Advisory are thrilled to announce that Banksy’s “Dream Boat” will be offered for sale at the forthcoming Context Art Miami, with a significant portion of the proceeds going to Choose Love, an organization that provides humanitarian aid and advocacy for refugees around the world.

“Dream Boat” was initially unveiled at Banksy’s 2015 Dismaland art pop-up in the seaside resort town of Weston-super-Mare in Somerset, England. It was part of a functioning coin-operated game where guests could guide police boats to chase the ’Dream Boat,’ a nearly 1 meter-long sculpture of a boat overflowing with individually painted refugees. 

In 2018, the “Dream Boat” reemerged as Banksy took to Instagram to announce that he would be raffling off the piece for £2, with proceeds of the raffle going to Choose Love. The sculpture would be won by the person who would provide the closest guess to the sculpture’s actual weight. 

The lucky winner with a keen sense of physics has now entrusted Ballon Rouge and S16 with finding a permanent home for the “Dream Boat”, an exceptional art piece with an unforgettable story. The poignant piece comes with full certification from Banksy’s own Pest Control Office.

“Banksy is a pioneer in creating art that goes beyond social commentary to become a proactive tool in the fight for social change and the causes it criticizes”, says Jon Bucci, president of Ballon Rouge Art Advisory. “We are incredibly honored to have been chosen, along with S16 Gallery, to play a role in the story of this incredible piece and to help bring a full circle moment whereby a large part of the proceeds will go to the original organization for whose benefit it was raffled, Choose Love.”

Since its inception, Choose Love has supported nearly 4 million people and raised over $ 80 million for partner organizations worldwide.

“Dream Boat” by Banksy will be offered for sale as part of the S16 collection on show at Context Miami from Nov. 29 to Dec. 4, 2022. 

About Ballon Rouge

Ballon Rouge is born out of the need for transparency and uniformity in the world of art and collectibles as financial assets. We are a group of professionals brought together to create a holistic vehicle to help the client navigate the world of art and collectibles by rendering the process easy, transparent, and efficient. Our strict mandate is to work on behalf of the client, buyer or seller, to achieve optimal financial results, providing a variety of service categories for buyers and sellers of all levels.

About S16

S16 Gallery is a group of contemporary art galleries born from the Station 16 Brand, well known for featuring an international roster of artists who are influenced primarily by street art and graffiti. The galleries are constantly looking for ways to reinvent themselves and to breathe life into the urban art scene, exhibiting works of art that challenge the traditional white cube gallery space.

About Choose Love

Per their mission statement, “everything we do is powered by a vision of a world that chooses love and justice every day, for everyone.” An amount equal to 10 percent of the reserve price and 50 percent of any additional amount will be offered from sale to Choose Love so it can continue its incredible work.