European Central Bank graffiti - in pictures

Artists, especially younger artists, are encouraged to create socio-political artworks. This painting of fighting cocks will hang in the ECB's new headquarters once construction is complete. Photograph: Boris Roessler/Alamy

This James Bond-style picture showing Angela Merkel and ECB president Mario Draghi as 007 and Bond girl was bought by a company run by computer billionaire Michael Dell. Photograph: Daniel Roland/AFP/Getty Images

Many of the artworks depict figures such as ECB president Mario Draghi in a derogatory way, but the bank has said it is fine with this. Photograph: Kai Pfaffenbach/Reuters

The bank not only agreed to let social worker Stefan Mohr use the fence for graffiti, it offered €10,000 to pay for wooden panels to be attached to the fence, and for supplies of spray paint. Photograph: Kai Pfaffenbach/Reuters

Stefan Mohr said he thought the homeless and underprivileged kids he works with would enjoy graffiti-ing on a politically important and symbolic site. Photograph: Kai Pfaffenbach /Reuters

'We wanted a place for kids to express themselves and show the public that graffiti is art, not vandalism.' Photograph: Thomas Lohnes/Getty Images

The graffiti proved amazingly popular, with people coming from across the world to paint and take photographs. Photograph: Kai Pfaffenbach /Reuters

Dozens of banks and money managers have been trying to buy pieces of anti-capitalist graffiti. Photograph: Kai Pfaffenbach /Reuters

'This image is intended as an affront to Goldman Sachs, the pride of the banking system and its non-transparent power play,' says artist Andreas von Chrzanowski, known as Case. Photograph: Kai Pfaffenbach /Reuters

A slogan that was made originally by Ronald Regan to Mikhail Gorbachev regarding the Berlin Wall is used in this piece of graffiti, with Gorbachev's name replaced with that of ECB president Draghi. Photograph: Kai Pfaffenbach /Reuters

Graffiti depicting the character of Gollum, from JRR Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. The works are painted over every three months. "That's how graffiti works," says Mohr. Photograph: Daniel Roland/AFP/Getty Images

Frankfurt's mayor, Peter Feldmann, has called for all of Frankfurt's construction sites to allow graffiti on their perimeter fences. Photograph: Kai Pfaffenbach/REUTERS

The popular internet meme 'Grumpy Cat' is depicted in one of the graffiti artworks. Photograph: Kai Pfaffenbach/Reuters

Once the building is finished, anyone will be able to bid for the artworks, with money going to the Under Art Construction project. Photograph: Kai Pfaffenbach/Reuters