Renowned for his elusive nature and thought-provoking artwork, Banksy once again made headlines with his latest creation in London, only for it to vanish shortly after being unveiled. The piece, a clever twist on a traffic stop sign, was installed in Peckham, a vibrant district in South London.
This particular installation by the mysterious artist was no ordinary street sign. Instead, it featured a unique design with three images of aircraft, closely resembling military drones, crafted onto a metal sign. The artwork quickly caught the attention of Banksy's extensive online following, amassing over 12.1 million followers on Instagram, where he posted images of the sign.
However, the artwork's fame was short-lived. Within hours of its installation, at approximately 12:30 p.m., it was unceremoniously removed. Eyewitness reports, including one from an individual named Alex, detailed how two people, one initially attempting to dislodge the artwork by hand and falling off a bike, eventually succeeded using bolt cutters.
This incident adds to a series of events involving Banksy's work this year. Earlier, a Valentine’s Day mural addressing domestic violence led to the repeated removal of a chest freezer, and a couple was astonished to find that removing a large seagull painting from their home would cost a staggering $250,000. Additionally, a 500-year-old farmhouse adorned with a large mural of a young boy by Banksy was demolished in March, and a damaged mural in Venice from 2019 is set for restoration through private funding. In a surprising development, Banksy's identity, long shrouded in mystery, was recently disclosed in an archival interview with the BBC.
Jean Dubreil