What we know about the mysterious Street Artist Banksy

Banksy is probably the most famous street artist in the world ... but also the most mysterious ...

On the occasion of the exhibition "World of Bansky" in Paris, I'll make a recap of what we know about him ...

You can follow his instagram account: @BANKSY

Banksy is probably a white man ....

It is said he was born in 1974 in the region of Bristol in England

He was given several identities (Robin Gunningham, Robert del Naja...) thus suggesting he could be a woman... or a collective of artists

In short, Banksy adores covering the tracks about his identity!

He loves rats :-)

Very early, it started representing rats.

These rats symbolize underground, nocturnal and clandestine life ... the rat disturbs ... and at night, all rats are grey

It also points out that the word "rat" is the anagram of the word "Art"

Here a rat in Paris ... with a Champagne bottle!

During the lockdown he dis not resist to temptation of transforming these toilets ...

Banksy loves provocation

It provokes us, pushes us to take a step back, to think particularly about the consumer society, about the world of art

In 2004, he distributed false banknotes: the portrait of Lady Di replaced that of the Queen of England and we could read on it "Bansky of England" instead of Bank of England :-)

In 2005, it managed to install modified artworks in the world's largest museums such as Moma, Tate Gallery, the Louvre, unknown to the guards ... The works were withdrawn but the British Museum decided to keep the one that represented a prehistoric man with a trolley ...

Apogee of the provocation, Banksy does not hesitate a second to make these works coexist with a museum shop :-)

In 2018, his work "girl with balloon" was self destroyed on live after being auctioned 1.2 million euros at Sotheby in London.

When we asked him what he was going to do with this money, Banksy replied, "I'm going to buy a boat ... like all millionaires"

Yes, but not any boat, Banksy financed the rescue of migrants in the Mediterranean sea

  

Banksy is a committed artist

He is actually involved in the cause of migrants

In 2015, in an English seaside resort, he created the "unsuitable family theme park for children" "Dismaland" (Dismal = Lugubrious), a remake of Disneyland ...

With a hook a duck ... stuck in fuel oil ..

Artificial lakes with boats filled to breaking point where passengers never manage to disembark ..

Part of the raised funds and facilities have been dedicated to migrant in Calais,

He has always condemned deprivation of liberty, especially in Palestine at the border with Israel

In a first time, he first painted works on the wall and he created a 3 * hotel in Bethleem with views on the wall, The Walled Off Hotel welcoming his works

The fons collected are invested in local associations

A reconstitution of the hotel can be visited after the exhibition .. the entrance ticket is not included ....

Banksy is also a poet

Its stencil "Girl with balloon" (there is Always Hope) is known around the world

Many of his works are full of humor and poetry ...

He also shares more touching works:

He also represented a young girl, in tears, on the door of Bataclan, work that was stolen - the metal door was cut!) and then found in Italy and returned to France

In short, Banksy is definitely a multifaceted artist ... whose face we don't know!

An artist to discover with your family thanks to the exhibition "World of Banksy" in Paris

And if you prefer an oudoors Street Art discovery, click here !