MELBOURNE — Art Series Hotel Group, owners of three art-themed boutique hotels each inspired and dedicated to a different Australian contemporary artist, has managed to drum up a storm of publicity by offering an irresistable challenge to wannabe art thieves, daring them to steal a work of art by Banksy from one of their hotels. From the December 15, 2011 to January 15, 2012, paying guests were encouraged to try their hand at pilfering signed and authenticated work by the street art legend. If the aspiring crook could sneak the piece past hotel staff and out of the hotel without getting caught, it was theirs. But budding bandits had first to find the work of art — which was moved between the three hotels to make a heist even trickier.
The first offering, Banksy’s "No Ball Games," survived for five days before it was successfully nabbed by one Maura Tuohy. Tuohy cunningly fooled hotel staff into thinking she was an employee of an Art Series Hotel agency and was there to move the artwork, valued at AUD$15,000 ($16,100), to another hotel. According to a hotel press release:
“Highly suspicious staff asked for a number to phone in order to verify her story. Tuohy provided the number of her accomplice, Megan Aney, who verified the story. After a dozen more questions she then took the artwork out of the hotel, put it in her car, and returned 15 minutes later to brag about her cunning and guile.”
Art Series Hotels then put another Banksy up for grabs, a print from the artist's "Pulp Fiction" series valued at AUD$4,000 ($4,300). A number of attempts were made to liberate the work, though none were successful. Even tennis star Serena Williams, in Melbourne for the Australian Open, couldn’t score the prize. Williams made her attempt after tweeting: “This Hotel is encouraging people to steal their art!! I Might try... tonight.”
Still, if the Banksy piece wan't stolen, it wasn't for lack of trying. Would-be thieves attempted a range of approaches in the pursuit of "Pulp Fiction": the impersonation of a tradesman; CCTV camera hacking; planting listening devices placed at the reception desk; and, of course, the old-fashioned hit-and-run. Ultimately, however, no one's fingers were sticky enough for the coveted Banksy. Art Series Hotels fittingly chose to donate the work to Crime Stoppers Victoria, a charity devoted to public safety.