‘False advertising.’ Banksy exhibit in Charlotte decried as ‘unauthorized.’
A world-touring exhibit of works by the elusive British street artist Banksy that opened in Charlotte Friday is being denounced by some local critics, much as it has been elsewhere across the globe.
The Art of Banksy: Without Limits showcases more than 155 works, including prints, photos, sculptures, installations and murals — some of which were reproduced specifically for the exhibition, The Charlotte Observer reported last year when plans for the Queen City stop were announced.
About 1.2 million visitors have seen the exhibit in Istanbul, Amsterdam, Melbourne, Berlin, London, Seoul and other cities, according to a news release about the exhibit’s Charlotte appearance. Atlanta hosted the U.S. premiere of the exhibit in September 2021, and the exhibit visited Miami last month. Charlotte is its third U.S. stop, at AvidXchange Music Factory.
Banksy never authorized the exhibit, and some of the works on display are reproductions by others, major media outlets in other countries have reported, as did the Observer in its June 2021 article about plans for the Charlotte stop.
A news release about the Charlotte show says the exhibition includes “more than 155 of the artist’s works such as certified originals, prints, photos, lithographs, sculptures, murals, and video mapping installations created only for this tour.”
The release also says that “more than 20 of Banksy’s works are carefully reproduced with his stencil technique specifically for the exhibition, including his March 2021 creation ‘Escape’ originally appearing on England’s closed Reading Prison, and ‘Pulp Fiction’ featuring likenesses of the film’s stars Samuel L. Jackson and John Travolta pointing bananas in place of pistols.”
According to the release: “Other highlights include ‘Dismaland’ installations from Banksy’s 2015 pop-up Bemusement Park, prints of ‘Flower Thrower’ and ‘Kissing Coppers,’ and the sculpture ‘Death of a Phone Booth.’”
“Visitors will find conversation starters around every corner of this exhibition as Banksy is an exciting and compelling artist we delight in sharing with the public for the first time in Charlotte,” Martin Biallas, CEO of SEE Global Entertainment is quoted as saying in the release.
His company brought the exhibit to Charlotte.
Banksy is anti-capitalist, so it is ironic, critics have said, that others are profiting from his name and works. Tickets to the exhibit in Charlotte are $27.20 for adults, according to the exhibit website.
“For those who say Banksy himself would never consent to a show such as ‘The Art of Banksy: Without Limits’ as it goes against what he stands for — you may be right,” the Observer reported last year. “A note on banksy.co.uk states: ‘Members of the public should be aware there has been a recent spate of Banksy exhibitions none of which are consensual. They‘ve been organised entirely without the artist’s knowledge or involvement. Please treat them accordingly.”
Representatives of SEE Global Entertainment didn’t reply to requests for comment from the Observer on Saturday.
Refunds in South Korea
When the Banksy show visited Seoul, South Korea, in August 2021, the local organizers offered refunds to those who wanted to cancel their visits, The Korea Herald reported at the time. Exhibit visitors had posted comments expressing dismay that many of the works were not Banksy’s, according to the newspaper.
It didn’t take long for similar adverse reaction to arise in Charlotte Friday.
On Twitter, the Inside 485 food and culture site called the exhibit “false advertising” and criticized local media for promoting the exhibit.
‘Recreations and prints’
“It is not Banksy art you’ll see,” Inside 485 wrote in one of several tweets about the exhibit. “It’s recreations and prints of Banksy’s art.”
“There are local art exhibits that never get promoted in Charlotte’s legacy outlets,” Inside 485 wrote. “Why this out of town exhibit of stolen art gets so much promotion, I can’t say. And our local outlets will likely feel no need to justify their decision making.”
Those comments generated reaction of their own, including one who wondered why all the fuss.
“The majority of art displayed in ANY galleries or in exhibitions are not done in collaboration with the artist,” replied a woman with the Twitter handle Future of the Retro. “I really don’t get this hill ppl are dying on for Banksy. He sold those pieces to private collectors. The collectors loaned it to the exhibition. It’s that’s simple.”
SEE Global Entertainment also brought Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel Exhibit to Charlotte in May 2021.
This story was originally published February 27, 2022 at 7:00 AM with the headline "‘False advertising.’ Banksy exhibit in Charlotte decried as ‘unauthorized.’."