Banksy, Genius or Vandal?

Indeed, Banksy was brought to the city of Madrid not long ago and will be staying until 10 March at an exhibition in IFEMA which, according to the artist, has little to do with him and he has not authorised. At least that was what he said when the exhibition was shown in Russia.

Though few know his true identity, Banksy has risen to fame amidst great controversy – a fact that can be inferred from the name of this exhibition showing his most famous works from private collections, valued at around a staggering €17 million.

What we do know is that his street art has inspired many a painter – graffiti artists or not – and has called society to reflect on social injustice, capitalism, war and the horrific pollution caused by oil companies. Take, for instance, the campaign launched along with Greenpeace against US firm Esso, which visitors can also see at IFEMA.

For those who do not know this artist by name, just a glance at the Girl with the Balloon is enough to realise that, one way or another, Banksy has been here all along and his role in art has raised many eyebrows.

You may recall that this very piece of art self-destructed last October after being auctioned in London for roughly €1.18 billion in Sotheby’s.

It is precisely this sort of thing that is making the artist more and more famous and his art more mysterious. There are various theories about his identity and what his name might be. Few journalists have interviewed him and the mystery lives on, making his work all the more exciting and putting Banksy on a par with more traditional and broadly accepted artists.

Picture from https://www.banksyexhibition.es/

Categories: Madrid Cultura, Uncategorized