Tag Archives: Banksy

Streets: Banksy – Les Miserables (London)

January 27, 2016 butterfly 1 Comment

As mentionned earlier (see here) Banksy created a new artwork in London on Saturday night. As usual location is key and the new stencil appeared on the corner of a very busy road of Knightsbridge, surrounded by lots of CCTV but most importantly opposite the French Embassy under the watchful eyes of security guards.

The mural is a re appropriation of the iconic image of Cosette for Les Miserables, the little girl depicted in the historical novel of Victor Hugo during the French Revolution, whose mum left to another family hoping she would get a better life.

The French flag, used as symbol of Freedom during the French revolution but also for Les Droits de L’homme (Human rights) is torn apart. Grey tears are rolling down the girl’s face, provoked by a cloud of teargas from the CS cannister laying on the floor.

The mural is a continuation of Banksy’s engagement in raising awareness about the migrant situation in Europe, and specially in Calais. It’s a direct comment on the recent actions by French authorities to destroy part of the Jungle and evict around 1,500 refugees using teargas.

France is the ‘Pays des Droits de l’Homme’, country of Human Rights, but looking closer at the living conditions in the “Jungle” camp of Calais, it is a total disgrace.

Banksy - London 2016

The mural also features an interactive piece, a QR code that directs you to a video showing the use of CS gas by French Police towards the migrants.

Banksy - London 2016

As soon as the mural was confirmed on Banksy’s website, a few attempted to steal the artwork overnight, but it only resulted in some visible damages.

Banksy - London 2016

While builders were having a meeting on how to protect / remove the piece, more media and fans arrived at the scene.

Banksy - London 2016

It was not long before builders tried to remove it, and failed miserably, noticing it was glued to another board (video).

It was subsequently covered and watched over by a security guard before being taken down permanently, only to appear in the near future at some art dealer or gallery.

Despite the short lifespan of the artwork, let’s hope that it continues to raise awareness about the refugees crisis and inhuman living conditions in the Calais ‘Jungle’ camp and that authorities (regardless of their country flags) will work to improve the situation for both migrants and local residents.

Banksy - London 2016

Farewell Cosette …

View the full set of pics here

London, Street, streets

Streets: Banksy in London

January 24, 2016 butterfly 1 Comment

A new stencil by Banksy highlighting the use of teargas in the “Jungle” refugee camp in Calais has appeared on a building opposite the French Embassy in London.

The stencil on board features a CS can on the floor spreading a teargas cloud. With the French flag waving in the background, the infamous character Cosette from Les Miserables emerges with tears in her eyes.

The work is the latest in a series of pieces by the graffiti artist criticising Europe’s handling of the ongoing refugees crisis, after earlier his stencils in Calais (featured) . It is a direct comment on the recent actions by French authorities to destroy part of the Jungle and evict around 1,500 refugees.

Banksy - London 2016

In a first for the elusive graffiti artist, the artwork is interactive and includes a stencilled QR code beneath. If viewers hold their phone over the code, it links them to an online video of a police raid on the camps on 5 January.

View the full set of pics here

streets

Streets: Banksy in Calais

December 11, 2015 butterfly 1 Comment

jobs_04-2 (Small)

After Dismaland, Banksy continues to hightlight the migrant crisis and horrific living conditions of Syrian refugiees in the Jungle of Calais by painting a portrait of Steve Jobs, reminding us that he is the son of a Syrian migrant. Steve Jobs is depicted carrying a travel bag with his iconic mac computer. Further messages say “NOBODY DESERVES TO LIVE THIS WAY!”

jobs_01-6 (Small) jobs_02 (Small) jobs_03 (Small)

Additional murals and messages have been painted in the camp and the city center of Calais. The others pieces are showing a stenciled young girl and her telescope, a text piece which reads “Maybe This Whole Situation Will Sort Itself Out” and a piece showing a refugee raft inspired from the “The Raft of the Medusa” by Géricault and dubbed “Maybe We Are Not All In The Same Boat”. On a side note, this is the first ever time Banksy paints in France.

situation1 (Small) rft_1-1 (Small) rft_2-3 (Small) c_pn-2 (Small) dismal_aid_web3 (Small)

Pictures on www.banksy.co.uk

Shows, Videos, Weston Super Mare

Video: One Day in Banksy’s Dismaland

October 30, 2015 butterfly 1 Comment

To complete the last instalment of our extensive coverage on Banksy’s Dismaland, here is a thirty minutes documentary we had the pleasure to host, a Red Tower Films Production in cooperation with ARTE Creative TV.

Big thanks to Banksy and the Dismaland team, Simone Hoffmann, Lars Pedersen, René Kästner, Aris Bibudis, Michael Schmidt and Evgeniy Grinko.

You can view the German version here

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

View the full set of pics here

Shows, Weston Super Mare

Dismaland: POW Participating artists

September 12, 2015 butterfly

Amongst the 50 participating artists exhibited at Dismaland, Banksy invited a few from the POW roster: Bill Barminski (present at the 2011 Christmas show), Paul Insect, Bast, Escif, ESPO, Jimmy Cauty, Lush, Pure Evil and David Shrigley.

Bill Barminski