BANKSY IN MANILA? WHAT WE KNOW SO FAR

(SPOT.ph) You might have seen the teaser posters and countless excited social media reposts about a possible Banksy show coming to Manila. ICYMI, on April 22, the Metropolitan Museum of Manila released several teaser posters showing the street artist's famous works like the "Balloon Girl," along with stencil graffiti-style posters suggesting a Banksy Universe event is headed to Manila.

Initially, the posts were met with excitement among Banksy fans and art enthusiasts who hoped to see the elusive artist's official works up close.

But as hours passed, a more diverse set of opinions came up, sparked by posts on the Bonifacio Global City and Metropolitan Museum of Manila's Facebook account originally captioned: "Spraying soon," followed by "Art is not a crime" and two hashtags: #BanksyUniverse and #BanksyUniversePH. The visual used was that of Balloon Girl.

Seeing this, a question popped up in the comments section: "Does this mean we can paint the walls of BGC without any repercussions? Asking for a friend."

To which Bonifacio Global City replied: "We do not condone any form of vandalism around BGC. All our wall art, murals, and exhibits are pre-approved and permitted." 

The response drew raised eyebrows online, and BGC was accused of being an elitist entity who, in the words of spoken word artist Alfonso Manalastas, is just "co-opting guerilla art because its fashionable," not taking into consideration the very essence of the artist it's promoting.

The question may seem like a no-brainer. Why would it be okay to just randomly paint BGC walls? But to understand the context of the current online debate surrounding the possible Banksy event happening in the commercial hub, it's important to know who Banksy is, what he represents, and what his art conveys. 

Also read: 10 Street-Art Hotspots Around the World

Who is Banksy?

Banksy is one of the world's most famous street artists, and a huge part of his legend and celebrity is because he's never shown his face to the public ever. Many have attempted to catch the artist as he "art bombs" a new location, but to this day no one has seen the artist's face nor can anyone definitively say they know the man behind the art. Interviews with the artist exist but they are only voice interviews, with the subject's voice distorted so as to serve as an additional layer of security—to make sure his identity is kept hidden.

Many theories have circulated through the years, desperate attempts to try and find out who Banksy really is. Robert Del Naja, a.k.a. 3D from the Bristol hip-hop group Massive Attack; Robin Gunningham, a suburban teacher; Art Attack's Neil Buchanan; even an entire Bristol art collective—they have all been believed to be Banksy at one point or another. But nothing has ever been confirmed, and most, if not all, of these individuals have openly denied being the famous artist.

Banksy's Famous Art Works

But outside the whole hullabaloo about who he is and what he looks like, Banksy is essentially an artist and activist. His art is typically referred to as subversive, often some sort of cultural commentary or criticism targeting major institutions, governments, ideologies, and agendas. He utilizes spray paint and stencils in creating his pieces, using walls and other public spaces as his canvas. Take for example his famous "Flower Thrower," a spray-painted image of a male figure who looks like he's about to throw a Molotov cocktail or a rock—but the weapon is really a bouquet of flowers. Many have interpreted this work as Banksy advocating for peace instead of violence, as apart from the obvious visual cues, it was painted on a wall along the West Bank in Israel.

Banksy has also commented on other wars and military takeovers. Examples: the three military drones attached to a huge stop sign and the 2022 piece that appeared in a bombed building in Ukraine showing a gymnast doing a handstand amidst the rubble.

Other pieces in Banksy's repertoire include the easily identifiable Girl with the Balloon. In 2018, a version of this piece was sold at an auction for over USD 1.4 million—and then the piece suddenly appeared to self-destruct. The painting soon became partially shredded, as the sale triggered a shredding device within the frame. This artwork soon became known as "Love in the Bin."

Outside his usual politically laced art pieces, Banksy is also a known prankster. In 2021, a sardonic series of street paintings dubbed "Great British Spraycation" was spotted in England's Suffolk and Norfolk areas. These works include seagulls dive-bombing for chips, a rat leaning back in a deckchair while enjoying a cocktail, children playing and working hard in the sand, and an arcade-style crane.

What is the Pest Control Office?

Whether you're all for the way he makes art or still on the fence about it, there's no denying Banksy has created a strong artistic brand with a distinctive style and has attracted a big following. As with anything with this level of fame, Banksy fakes and people claiming to be affiliated with the artist abound. This is where the Pest Control Office comes in. 

Pest Control Office, usually referred to as Pest Control, is known to be the only body authorized to authenticate Banksy’s art—to prevent confusion and misattribution. Banksy's official website says: "For all inquiries, complaints, threats, and hate mail, visit pestcontroloffice.com. Banksy is not on Facebook or Twitter or represented by any other gallery or institution." 

Pest Control offers services where people who have purchased Banksy artworks can have their purchases authenticated and validated.

They also offer a service called 'Check Before You Buy,' where you can validate the authenticity of any artwork being sold to you. In addition, they offer buying advice and other frequently asked questions about purchasing works.

Pest Control generally reminds people that "Banksy only makes merchandise sporadically for certain specific projects. The result is that if something looks like a ‘Banksy product,' it almost certainly isn't." They also emphasize that no gallery or institution represents Banksy. Pest Control is the only place where you can get new work by Banksy.

Is Banksy Coming to BGC's Metropolitan Museum of Manila?

As we were researching Banksy and his works, we noticed this bit of information on the Pest Control website about licensing or showcasing Banksy's works.

Currently, there are different traveling Banksy exhibits worldwide, but not all of them (if any) are certified by Pest Control. This raises the question of whether Banksy authorized a supposed Banksy Universe coming to BGC.

SPOT.ph reached out to Pest Control through its email to verify whether the group and the artist Banksy authorized the BGC exhibit, and we received this reply: "Hi, Thanks for your email. This is not authorised or endorsed by the artist Banksy, and we have no further details about it, or its contents. Thank you for making us aware."

Metropolitan Museum of Manila's Statement on Banksy Universe

In a statement released to members of the press, The Metropolitan Museum of Manila descibes Banksy Universe Manila 2024 as an international immersive art production featuring the works of Banksy and designed to bring audiences face to face with the artists works that are not easily accessible. Furthermore, they affirm that it is indeed not authorized and endorsed by the artist just like many Banksy exhibitions around the world. Despite this, The Metropolitan Museum of Manila stands by its upcoming staging of Banksy Universe stating that it is "excited to introduce the universe of the enigmatic street artist to a Filipino audience." 

The statement further states, "Banksy Universe Manila 2024 is a unique opportunity to learn more about Banksy's art and explore the universality of the many piecing social, political and domestic issues it raises. It will feature over a hundred works that trace the trajectory of Banksy's career, afforidng visitors a closer look into the themes that preoccupy him, as well as the transformative power of art."

Also read: Street Artist Banksy Is Also Working From Home

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2024-04-24T12:07:03Z dg43tfdfdgfd