Banksy says he has kept his stencils 'hidden away for years' as he feared they could be used as evidence to prosecute him. But the famous Bristol artist says it's now time to allow people to see them, as he announces his new exhibition.
It opens on Sunday (June 18) at the Gallery of Modern Art in Glasgow, running until August 15 and marking his first solo exhibition in 14 years. It seems he's still unsure if it's the right move, though.
The elusive Bristol street artist released a short statement explaining his decision, acknowledging that it's unusual for him to endorse a formal gallery exhibition of his work. The show includes authentic artefacts, ephemera and the artist’s actual toilet.
Read more: Banksy announces new exhibition of 'hidden work' showcasing 25 years of his iconic creations
Banksy's statement read: “I’ve kept these stencils hidden away for years, mindful they could be used as evidence in a charge of criminal damage. But that moment seems to have passed, so now I’m exhibiting them in a gallery as works of art. I’m not sure which is the greater crime.”
The exhibition is titled 'Cut and Run: 25 years card labour.' It will feature stencils from 1998-2023. Banksy said the traffic cone which famously sits on the head of the Duke of Wellington statue outside the gallery was behind the decision to exhibit there.
A gallery label for the show said: “For anyone who isn’t aware – the statue out the front has had a cone on its head continuously for the past 40-odd years. Despite the best efforts of the council and police, every time one is removed another takes its place.
“This might sound absurd and pretentious (just wait until you see the rest of the exhibition), but it’s my favourite work of art in the UK and the reason I’ve brought the show here.”
Pieces in the exhibition include the stencils for Girl With Balloon and Kissing Coppers. It also features a model explaining how the artist managed to shred Girl With Balloon during an auction at Sotheby’s in London in 2018.
A stencil for a work that appeared on a damaged building in Ukraine, showing a female gymnast balancing, is also on show, as is the stab-proof Union flag vest Stormzy wore when he headlined at Glastonbury in 2019.
Tickets cost £15 for adults, £5 for children and £10 for concessions, which are specified on the website as "student/OAP/low waged/tight fisted" people. Carers can attend for free.
Tickets can be booked online but there are a limited amount of walk up tickets are available each day from the box office. Unusually, the opening hours are all through the night on a Friday and Saturday, listed as '9am until 5am the following morning'.
However, people hoping to use it as a unique party destination have been warned. The website advises: "At weekends we are open all night but please be aware the show contains tight spaces, fragile items and disorientating light effects, if you show up appearing to be very intoxicated you may be refused entry."
Photography is banned and attendees will be made to "put phones in a lockable pouch for the duration", with people encouraged to "stay in the moment and keep moving". People can request a complimentary souvenir Polaroid, however, taken by a member of staff.
Banksy's work first began to appear in Bristol in the early 1990s, but it was mainly freehand with his distinctive stencil style not emerging until a few years later. His identity remains a closely-guarded secret to those in the know, although there have been some clues over the years.
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