Banksy is the street artist with a capital G. There is no one who dominates the field like him. For almost 30 years, he has distinguished himself as a guerrilla artist on the side of the art institution. When the Økern Center in Oslo now presents the concept “The Mystery of Banksy: A Genius of Mind”, it is therefore not surprising that it attracts attention. There is only one catch to it all: this exhibition does not contain a single original Banksy work, and Banksy himself has neither approved nor contributed to the project. It is an exhibition consisting exclusively of reproductions and copies. STAGED: I really wonder what Banksy would think of the quality of the reproductions hanging on the walls in this exhibition, not to mention the artificial scenography, where an attempt has been made to create a theatrical street experience. The statues refer to a time and a reality that is over. Michelangelo’s suicide bomber David (back) as a representative of culture and the elitist art institution, and the angel as an image of what is good and beautiful in reality. In 2020, Banksy spray-painted a subway car in London in colors that represented masks. The work was called “If You Don’t Mask, You Don’t Get”, and was quickly removed. A replica has been made for the exhibition. Photo: Dominik Gruss Iconic motifs Banksy is an artist even people who are not very interested in art have heard of. And if you haven’t heard his stage name, you’ve probably seen some pictures, because they’ve become iconic. Like, for example, the crucified Christ with shopping bags in his hands, or the anarchist who takes a bet and throws, not a stone or a firebomb, but a bouquet of flowers. It is undoubtedly in the stencil technique that Banksy is in his element. He does not master the installation format as well. Many installations are recreated in the exhibition, such as this broken phone booth that perhaps refers to a communication reality that has passed. Photo: Mathias Ertnæs Banksy began to make a name for himself with his pointed, condensed visual expressions in the mid-1990s. The first pictures appeared in Bristol, and therefore it is assumed that he comes from there. Who is Banksy? Banksy’s identity has never been confirmed, but he is believed to be a man born in the mid-1970s in Bristol, England. In an interview with The Guardian in 2003, he was described as a 28-year-old white man with a “casual” style, silver teeth, silver jewelery and a ring in his ear. According to himself, Banksy should have started as an artist when he was 14, but was kicked out of school, and has served prison sentences for petty crimes. In addition to his iconic works of art in public spaces, he has also directed films, and in 2011 was nominated for the Oscar for best documentary for the film “Exit Through the Gift Shop”. Later, his pictures have been seen on street walls and in urban spaces around the world. At the turn of the millennium, he started using stencils to be able to work faster. He developed a strong and distinctive style expression that became the school for a whole generation of street artists. His pictures often have a rebellious, consumerist or anti-authoritarian message. THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM: This is one of Banksy’s more successful installations. It has both a certain aesthetic power and some interesting undertones. Here, among other things, you can read in references to bourgeois educational culture and British colonialism. This picture shows the elephant during the exhibition in Sweden. Photo: Dominik Gruss Genuine commitment A well-known work shows a man standing with a sales sign in his hands and blocking the way for a number of tanks. The image refers to the iconic photograph of the brave peace activist with the plastic bag at the Tiananmen Square in 1989. But here it is sales that are being advertised. And the message is that the forces of capitalism are what lies behind and drives the war machine. He often goes to war zones to convey his strong commitment to peace. He has created strong images of the border wall in the West Bank, and his latest work is located in a bombed-out suburb of the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv. It is perhaps precisely the genuineness and rebelliousness that has always characterized Banksy’s projects, which makes the experience of this exhibition so extra sad. UNDERDOG SUPPORT: Throughout his career, Banksy has been concerned with thematizing war and oppression. In recent years, he has become very involved in the refugee crisis and has bought a vessel that rescues boat refugees in the Mediterranean. He has created some of his latest works in a bombed-out suburb of Kyiv. Here he has, among other things, created a great contemporary version of the story of David and Goliath. A small, thin, Ukrainian David has defeated the great Russian Goliath. Photo: Mathias Ertnæs IKEA feeling When I enter the Økern centre, I get a strong IKEA feeling. Here we are sluiced into an artificial street scenography with recreated Banksy images and installations. The street works are quite expertly recreated by a team of street artists, while photo reproductions of his works on canvas, textile, paper and Plexiglas maintain a shockingly poor quality. We are finally shoved straight into the gift shop, which is overflowing with Banksy effects and spin-off products. That’s how you can cry. So it was with the rebellious critic of capitalism, who once represented something powerful and potent. Here his project is completely neutered and transformed into something soulless and commercial. Above dinner height As I go through the exhibition, I think that there are several things that make this not so interesting. Firstly, Banksy is an artist who has long since passed his prime. The years between 2000 and 2005 he was at his peak. FROM THE HEIGHT: “Girl with balloon” from 2003, pictured in the South Bank area of London. Photo: Dominic Robinson “Christ with shopping bags” (2004). Photo: Banksy “Kissing Coppers” (2006) pictured in Brighton. Photo: ShoZu “Toxic Mary” (2004). Illustration: Banksy Then he was the powerful popular cultural voice, who set the agenda and threw one artistic torch after another into the public discourse. It was then that he created his most iconic images, and it was then that his expression was fresh and innovative. Since then, he has created the occasional gem, but on the whole he has not really managed to further develop his style. Today, I find his expression quite passé. In 2018, it attracted a lot of attention when a Banksy painting self-destructed seconds after it was sold. I think this was a terrific stunt. Here he managed to regain some of his “edge” as a rebellious street artist. Street art at Sotheby’s is itself a kind of contradiction. Yes, this is a very well-formulated critique of the institution, and of the commercialization of art. And one thing is that it may be sad when art gets trapped in the gallery space and becomes a commodity, but it is far more serious when street art becomes that, because it comes at the expense of its whole essence. The lifeblood of street art But what is much worse than the fact that Banksy as an artist may no longer be at his best is what this exhibition does to the experience of artistry. Some might object that originality does not play such a decisive role in a project like Banksy’s. Here, after all, it is not about fine-tuned, painterly color tones, texture or materiality, but I would actually say the opposite: There are few works of art where the original expression and setting are as vital as here. Street art’s power and excitement spring from the break between often quite simple motifs, and the urban space. The rebellious and the forbidden are the lifeblood of street art: this is a painterly practice that lingers in the borderland between something criminal and something artistic. CURATOR: The exhibition concept “The Mystery of Banksy” has been touring Europe since 2021. In the opening speech, curator Virginia Jean talks about the project with enthusiasm. She has a good point that it is difficult for someone interested in Banksy to get an overview of his artistry. His works are spread over many different countries, and much has also been lost in the course of time. Something has been painted over, buildings have been demolished and other works have been stolen. In this sense, the exhibition can have a function as an arena that gives a certain overview of what he has created. Personally, I would prefer a comprehensive publication. Photo: Mathias Ertnæs When the images are placed in an art context, they lose all this duality that gives them their excitement. They fall into toothless, decorative images that can be stylish and funny, but which you quickly get used to. “This is not an exhibition of, but an exhibition about, Banksy,” says the Norwegian organizer. It could be, but then I would much rather have leafed through a thick book with good reproductions than wander around in this artificial and uber-commercial scenography. news reviews Title: “Mysteriet Banksy” Original title: “The Mystery of Banksy: A Genius of Mind” Curator: Virgina Jean Place: Økernsenteret Organiser: Oliver Foster & COFO Exhibitions. The Norwegian version is produced by musical and theater producer Thalia. Time: 23 February – 16 June 2024 Estimated time: 30 to 60 minutes Part of the income from the exhibition concept goes to Banksy’s fund for boat refugees. The mysterious graffiti artist Banksy has painted on seven walls in Ukraine. Urix goes in search of the valuable art, which someone is trying to steal:
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“Mysteriet Banksy” at Økern Center – Reviews and recommendations
