Status: 06/10/2022 11:31 a.m
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His works and his name are world famous – but the true identity of the graffiti guerrilla Banksy remains a mystery. An exhibition in New York is now showing 120 privately owned prints and pictures.
By Simon Seitel, ARD Studio New York
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Another world behind the door: outside the noisy metropolis, inside quiet and dimmed light. Only the artworks of the graffiti guerrillas scream from the black canvases. On them a woman hugging a bomb, an armed policeman with angel wings and a snake sculpture that Mickey Mouse swallowed – Banksy’s subversive protest as fine art.
He is considered the “phantom of the art world”: his works and his name are known around the world, but Banksy’s true identity remains a mystery.
Art worth millions
The graffiti artist’s street art typically cracks on buildings and walls around the world. For the first time, 120 of her privately owned prints and pictures are in an exhibition – without Banksy himself having a hand in the game, says curator Stefano Antonelli:
There is no public collection of Banksy’s artwork. A company called ‘Pest Control’ is responsible for checking alleged Banksy works for authenticity. It belongs to Banksy.
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Exhibition in New York shows 120 paintings by a British graffiti artist: Banksy – the Phantom – the Faceless
Antje Passenheim, ARD New York, daily news at 12:00 p.m., June 9, 2022
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What was once considered vandalism is now art worth millions. The imitators who copy his works also know this. A real Banksy is recognizable thanks to a trick.
“Every Banksy work has a certificate of authenticity, which is a piece of cardboard with a bill cut in half with a number written on it,” explains Antonelli. “This number must match the number that ‘Pest Control’ has. That way each individual plant can be verified.”
War, flight, consumer terror
Among the originals on display are well-known ones – the girl with a balloon, the intifada fighter who throws a bouquet of flowers instead of stones. Or the recurring motif of the rats. Allegedly, Banksy feels connected to them. Like him, they are outsiders and live in secret.
But less well-known pictures also show Banksy’s themes: war, flight, consumer terror. For many visitors, they are more contemporary than ever. “I like the pro-consumerism and anti-war messages it sends,” says visitor Victoria. “He really makes people think about what countries are doing and how governments are trying to control people.”
Exhibition until September
“I like it,” says visitor Jeff. “I think he’s really rebellious. And he has a clear opinion about the society we live in and about how things should change.”
The Banksy exhibition in New York is open until September.
More Banksy than ever – New York show shows 120 works of the invisible
Simon Seitel, ARD New York, June 10, 2022 11:06 a.m
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