BANKSY: The Art of Protest offers a glimpse of the controversial artistic universe of one of the most influential creators of recent decades through a variety of themed sections and unique creations, including a selection of artworks executed with different techniques: oil, acrylic and spray paint on canvas and wood, limited edition screen prints, stencils on metal or concrete, sculptures, installations, videos and photography.
The vast majority of the pieces, on loan from international private collections, have never been shown in Barcelona and a significant number of works will receive their first public showing at this exhibition.
An immersive multimedia installation created especially for the show will welcome visitors, revealing clues about the mysterious artist, highlighting his most important pieces and framing his extraordinary and often controversial career.
The BANKSY: The Art of Protest show is accompanied by a free audio guide for smartphones, available in Catalan, Spanish and English, which will enrich the visitor experience by shedding further light on the artist an the pieces on display.
Elusive, provocative, enigmatic… Banksy, the British artist whose identity remains a mystery, is regarded as one of the leading figures on the contemporary street art scene. Often satirical, his works address universal themes such as politics, culture and ethics. The aura of mystery which, through choice or necessity, is perpetuated every time Banksy is mentioned, has made him a living legend.
Bansky uses a direct form of communication, rejecting the system and its rules. The artist addresses his audience without any filters, and his works are visual texts capable of informing and inspiring reflection. War, wealth and poverty, animals, globalisation, consumerism, politics, power, the climate crisis… The themes Banksy explores are the themes of the world in which we live.
From his concrete trenches, Banksy challenges the rules of play governing contemporary art. His visual protest resonates with a vast and wide-ranging audience, to the extent that he has become one of the artists most acclaimed and admired by art lovers as well as younger generations.
As the exhibition curator, Alexander Nachkebiya, points out: “Banksy has acquired the status of a phenomenon and is one of the brightest and most important artists of our time. His work is a challenge to the system, a protest, an extremely well-constructed brand, a mystery, a violation of the law. Each visitor to the exhibition will be able to decide for himself who Banksy is: A genius or a vandal? An artist or a businessman? A Provocateur or a rebel? This new exhibition shows the extent of his talent, always multidimensional. Banksy invites reflection and lets the visitor decide. His work is still relevant, complete; his images speak and sink into our souls. I guess all this makes him a genius.”
BANKSY: The Art of Protest is a co-production by Disseny Hub Barcelona and Sold Out.