The artist reaches an historical building with an unauthorized exhibition through a multimedia approach
“Inside Banksy – Unauthorized Exhibition” is on view until February 26th in the deconsecrated church of Santo Stefano al Ponte; it is realized by Crossmedia Group and the set up is made by Opera Laboratori, with the scientific collaboration of Gianni Mercurio and Madeinart. The Banksy project, born in Bristol in the 90s anonymously - maybe it is a group as certain assumptions think, with the musician Robert del Naja -, arrives in an ancient building in Florence, with a multimedia approach.
WE FIND HIS THEMES ABOUT OPPRESSION, MATERIALISMS AND CAPITALISM
The exhibition path runs through pixels and sounds in perfect harmony, starting from the immersive room that explores the suburban context where the first murales appeared. Here, the struggle against oppression, materialisms and capitalism issues are enhanced. After a selfie into the Mirror Room, down in the crypt you find the Inside Banksy VR Experience, an hallucinogenic virtual trip to discover the most important artworks in situ through a viewer. Here, together with documentaries and videos, we also explore a simulator that allows us to realize graffiti to share on socials.
THE ANTI-ESTABLISHMENT ARTIST MOST LOVED BY THE ESTABLISHMENT IS CONSTANTLY INVOLVED
IN FAKED MILLIONAIRE AUCTIONS, SUBPOENAS AND ACCUSATIONS AGAINST THOSE BRANDS THAT EXPLOIT HIS IMAGE
Recently, he has claimed the responsibility of his works in Ukraine to denounce the war and standing again for human rights. He is more and more dedicated to administrative problems - then fixed, as the annulment of the Euipo (European Union intellectual property office) decision to invalidate the trademark - to protect his copyright. He is among lawyers and corporate measures ( the Pest Control Office Limited is the organization created to authenticate his works): all this is in contrast with his pure image when he declared: “copyright is for losers”. The anti-establishment artist most loved by the establishment is constantly involved in faked millionaire auctions, subpoenas and accusations against those brands that exploit his image: these are in contrast with his good intentions for a certain comeback on the market (hard to document).
RECENTLY, HE HAS CLAIMED THE RESPONSIBILITY OF HIS WORKS IN UKRAINE TO DENOUNCE THE WAR
The point of Banksy’s action is also this: being a brilliant communicator, a self-entrepreneur and influencer, building on the legacy of Warhol and Haring, continuing that connection between fame and protest against the same power that crowns him. It is not a secret that revolutionary thinkers become inoffensive icons, when incorporated by
the ruling class. For this, we like to imagine Banksy (or whoever under his spell) as an unsuspecting middle-aged visitor, amused by this interactive exhibition, leaving us the debate on his integrity.
