Please, Steal Our Banksy

Finally, a chance to engage in some recreational thievery without that annoying little issue of being in contempt of the law. The Art Series Hotel has extended a general invitation to the public to swing by and steal its artwork right off the wall, as part of their freshly launched competition, 'Steal Banksy'.

The promotion was inspired by the authentically illegal activities of a group of vandals who attacked a city wall in London with an angle grinder in 2007, pocketing a slab of concrete baring a Banksy design entitled 'No Ball Games'. The group subsequently sold the stolen artwork on eBay for 20,000 pounds. The act in turn inspired a further series of artwork by Banksy, including the 'No Ball Games' image currently hanging on the wall of a Melbourne hotel. In a nod to this rebellious ingenuity, the Art Series Hotel invites you to book a room between December 15 and January 15, and attempt to steal the artwork without being caught. If you're successful, they'll let you keep it.

Perhaps not the most ethical message ever to be projected in a marketing campaign, but it does sound like a lot of fun, and definitely in keeping with Banksy's trademark anti-authoritarianism.

Update: The Banksy gets stolen. A second artwork is up for grabs.