- Joy and frustration about Banksy's Zoo
The British love animals. This is also known to the often subversive street artist, Banksy, who surprised Londoners daily with a new animal image for a week - including a mountain goat, elephants, monkeys, a wolf, pelicans, a cat, and finally, fish.
Mostly silhouettes, they are sprayed onto walls and other surfaces in the Banksy style using a stencil. "Banksy's Zoo" is already being talked about.
The latest work is a bit different: Banksy painted schools of fish on the glass windows of a police box in London's city center, giving the appearance of an aquarium. Sky News reported that the police have confirmed vandalism to a police box.
Sometimes, joy is short-lived
The mysterious graffiti star - whose identity is a closely guarded secret - confirms the overnight appearances of his works on his Instagram account, which quickly become pilgrimage sites for fans of the artist who is also active in supporting refugees.
But sometimes, joy is short-lived: A cat stretching languidly, sprayed onto a dilapidated billboard on a northwest London street, is quickly removed. The police, who are on duty to protect onlookers, tell PA that the owner of the billboard has promised to donate the cat to an art gallery. Nevertheless, there are boos from Banksy fans.
Wolf on satellite dish stolen quickly
Another work disappeared as soon as it appeared. Several masked men removed the howling wolf on a satellite dish in the South London district of Peckham within an hour of Banksy's confirmation. The London police confirmed that a theft report has been received. A Banksy spokesperson told PA that the artist had nothing to do with the theft and does not support it.
What does Banksy want to express with the animal images?
Banksy fans have been speculating for days about what the artist wants to express with the animal images. Did he use the mountain goat to refer to the right-wing riots in the country, as one Instagram user suggested, using a symbol for a scapegoat? Should the three monkeys represent the Japanese proverb "see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil"? This wisdom, often depicted as three monkeys covering their eyes, ears, and mouth, has often been interpreted in the West as a criticism of people's tendency to turn a blind eye to injustice.
But Banksy did not provide an interpretation. After days of speculation, the British newspaper "Observer" shed some light on the matter. The images do not have a deeper meaning, the newspaper reported from the artist's circle. Banksy wants to bring joy to people in a time dominated by negative headlines.
Banksy hopes "that the works will bring a moment of unexpected joy," the newspaper quoted a Banksy representative. "At the same time, it's about highlighting people's ability to engage in creative play rather than destruction and negativity."
Attention-wise, Banksy's "Zoo" certainly seems to have been a success. However, perhaps it's not entirely without critical undertones: The fish on the police box appear suspiciously like piranhas with their sharp teeth. For the British police, who have had to deal with numerous scandals in recent years, this would not be a flattering interpretation.
The howling wolf on the satellite dish was also a target for theft, just like Banksy's other animal images.Despite the wolf being removed, Banksy's animal images continue to spark conversations about their potential meanings and interpretations.
