Banksy’s street art which was meant for public consumption keeps getting stolen; here’s a list and a reason
Yet another Banksy art piece has been removed from a satellite dish on top of a building in south-east London, just hours after it went on display. The Banksy press team told the BBC that they “believed” it had been stolen. This artwork was the fourth in an animal-themed series composed of silhouette compositions but it was not the first to be removed from the public eye.
Banksy’s art with its powerful social commentary and elusive nature, carries immense value culturally and financially. The high demand for his work coupled with vague origins makes it vulnerable to theft; individuals seek to claim a piece of this cultural phenomenon for profit, personal possession or sometimes even notoriety. Check a few of his stolen artworks and the story behind their thievery below.
Masked rat with a knife (2018)
One of the most prominent Banksy originals to be stolen was a graffiti piece depicting a masked rat holding a knife. Stolen from Paris’ 4th arrondissement in 2018, it was installed around the 50th anniversary of the May 1968 uprisings, when French students and unionists protested across Paris for the fall of the government under Charles de Gaulle. Apparently, security guards had already caught thieves trying to steal it a year ago.
The ‘Stealing Banksy?’ exhibition (2014)
An exhibition titled ‘Stealing Banksy?’ surfaced in 2014, where multiple different artworks by the infamous artist were showcased allegedly without his consent. It was the most expensive collection of Banksy artworks ever assembled under one roof with prices ranging from £100,000 to £500,000. Work like the “Berlin Door”, “No Ball Games”, “Liverpool Rat” and “Girl With Balloon” were all exhibited.
Each artwork at the exhibition was ‘stolen’ from public arenas, and the artist condemned the whole ordeal saying, “The Stealing Banksy exhibition taking place in London this weekend has been organised without the involvement or consent of the artist. Banksy would like to make it clear – this show has nothing to do with me and I think it’s disgusting people are allowed to go displaying art on walls without getting permission.”
Slave labour mural (2013)
In 2013, Banksy’s Slave Labour mural disappeared from the wall of a Poundland store in north London under mysterious circumstances. While there was suspicion that the mural had been stolen, Scotland Yard said there were “no reports of any theft”.
Surprisingly, the work re-appeared later in February for auction and was expected to sell for around $700,000. Moments before it went under the hammer though, it was withdrawn after protests from Haringey council, the local authority for the London Borough of Haringey in Greater London — they deemed it as public property, saying that its sale should not benefit a private proprietor.
Rat with a suitcase (2010)
According to a Reuters report, in 2010 thieves stole another Banksy original that depicted a rat carrying a suitcase from a meter box outside a house in Melbourne, Australia. Police said the artwork was stolen from the door of a meter box outside the home of popular underwear designer Mitch Dowd and the theft was only discovered when Dowd returned from his vacation. The painting has not resurfaced since then.
“It’s sad that as soon as the articles on Banksy came out that people would think it was valuable. I think it goes against everything Banksy does because he travels around the world doing graffiti pieces for the community so I think he would be really disappointed that someone wants to turn it into something commercial,” said Dowd in The Age.
This constant tug-of-war between public art and private ownership underscores the transient nature of street art and its relevance when it comes to social commentary. If you’re interested in knowing more about this dichotomy, we suggest watching Exit Through the Gift Shop (2010)— a documentary by Banksy available to watch for free on YouTube.
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