A mural painted by world-renowned street artist Banksy is to be removed from its home in Wales and taken to a secure location after attempts by “fanatics” to damage the artwork, its owner has said.
According to the German News Agency, Season’s Greetings, which depicts a message about the impact of pollution on communities, appeared on the outside of a steelworker’s private garage in Taibach, Port Talbot, on December 19, 2018.
The mural was bought by art dealer John Brandler, who agreed to keep the piece in the south Wales town for three years. The Welsh Government later paid to move it to an unoccupied shop in Ty'r Orsaf so it could be viewed by the public.
It will be transported to a temporary storage facility, before being loaned to a cultural institution which will put it on display to the public, while its long-term future is secured.
“Since Season's Greetings appeared three years ago, fanatics have tried to destroy this amazing piece of art. We're moving it to preserve it for future generations, where it can be seen and enjoyed, but not vandalized,” Brandler said.
The mock Christmas scene features a dumpster fire next to a child wearing winter clothes and trying to catch falling snow on their tongue in the middle of smoke. The snow is actually black dust, a by-product of steel production, from the town’s steelworks, something that fell heavily in the summer of 2018.
