“This work of art is protected. In case of movement, a detector will be triggered and a response team will arrive quickly”. No one will be allowed to steal “the boy and the judo master”, painted by artist Banksy in the Ukrainian town of Borodjanka. The painting is protected inside a small plastic tent with a corrugated iron roof over it. The door is open. On the floor in front of the picture we see a wide red line that is unmistakable. PROTECTED: “The boy and the judo master are well secured inside this house with a burglar alarm.” Photo: Sidsel Wold / news – This is very smart, says Ukrainian Mikhaylo Teslenko to news. In November 2022, British Banksy went to Kyiv and the war-torn areas outside the capital to paint on walls. The world-renowned anonymous artist left art worth many millions of kroner. – We young people obviously know Banksy and we thought it was fantastic that he came to us, says Teslenko. – Banksy’s contribution and solidarity are very important to us Ukrainians. BANKSY TOURS: Misja Teslenko thinks it is important to bring visitors to see Banksy and to see the destruction with their own eyes. Photo: Sidsel Wold / news Banksy also shared a video from the trip. A few weeks into his stay, someone discovered that Banksy had left valuable art that could be traded. And one of the seven works was stolen. STOLEN: “The lady with a gas mask” was simply carved from this wall in Hostomel. It took five more men to carry out the theft. Photo: AFP In Hostomel, the thieves tore down “the lady with the gas mask and fire extinguisher” from the yellow burned-out building on which she was painted. According to The Guardian newspaper, the picture is worth NOK 2.6 million. The public prosecutor believes that a man is behind the theft. To remove the graffiti from the wall, he had engaged four others to help him. He wanted to sell the work to use the money – perhaps for the reconstruction of Hostomel, perhaps to support the Ukrainian army. But according to the public prosecutor, the art thief risks 12 years in prison. RED LINE: The most famous Banksy work in Ukraine is perhaps this. And now it is well looked after. Anyone who moves over the red line triggers an alarm at the Sheriff security agency. Photo: Sidsel Wold / news The police in the Kyiv district are now keeping the work safe in their custody, and the part of the wall with the graffiti art is wrapped in cardboard until further notice. The theft also started a debate about what should happen to the seven Banksy works, because several of them are painted on buildings that are scheduled to be demolished. – First of all, it draws a lot of people here. Everyone wants to see this, says Misja in front of one of the artworks. – Everyone fights against evil in their own way, and Banksy reaches millions of people. Misja Teslenko believes the anonymous artist makes people think. And that is exactly what Banksy’s project is: To make people see the reality of war and get involved. “MAN IN BATHTUB”: On the first floor of this bombed-out block of flats, news finally found the old man in the bathtub, protected behind Plexiglas. Photo: Sidsel Wold / news – When people see the pictures and at the same time see all this destruction, they get a desire to help. And that is very important for Ukraine now, says Misja. Important in Bethlehem When the anonymous street artist appeared in Bethlehem in 2005 to paint on the eight-metre high Israeli separation wall, he became seriously known internationally. Some of his most iconic expressions are from the Palestinian territories. Banksy has meant a great deal to the city, not least financially. In the tourist magnet Bethlehem, the Banksy hotel The Walled off Hotel has become as big an attraction as the Church of the Nativity. – In 2008, we saw more Banksy tourists than Jesus tourists in Bethlehem, says Wisam Salsaa to Inspiring City. He is the general manager of the Banksy hotel. BANKSY IN BETHLEHEM: In the Banksy hotel in Bethlehem, you can see an imitation of Michelangelo’s David surrounded by tear gas. Photo: Sidsel Wold / news One of the Palestinians who makes a living from Banksy tourism is the guide Yamen El-Abed. – We have had so many thousands of visitors here over the years. Banksy has an incredible number of fans all over the world and I see how much both he and his graffiti mean, he says to news. The gymnast in Irpin Also in Irpin, one of the other hard-hit towns outside Kyiv, we find traces of the famous costar. At the bottom of a bombed-out block, news sees her, the Banksy gymnast doing rhythmic sports gymnastics. With a solid support collar around her neck, she tries to keep her balance on tiptoe. No one is allowed past the red and white police tape that has been set up 10 meters away from the graffiti art. In addition, the gymnast is secured behind a solid plexiglass. ATTRACTS PEOPLE: More people have come to watch the gymnast in Irpin. Photo: Sidsel Wold / news – Now it has been decided that all the graffiti works must be preserved and protected and remain in the places where they were painted, says Oleh Torkunov, from Kyiv’s military administration to Euronews. When the reconstruction takes place, Banksy art will be incorporated. It must not be transported to other locations.
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Guarding street art in Ukraine – worth millions – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
