Kultura / Culture
raised by the fact that “capturing” something intended for a wall and making it part of a frame or canvas is problematic. However, the curators insist that all the works on display are originals – whether graphics or post- ers. Still , what’s perhaps more im- portant is what you will think about after experiencing this exhibition. The most important thing for Bank- sy is the message, so provided that reached us, other questions aren’t so important. Even though the world is still investigating the true identity of this mesmerising artist. He first emerged in the early 1990s, when he began spray paint- ing his stencil designs that have since become a trademark of Bris- tol. The influential music and art scene of the city, which is home to bands like Massive Attack and Por- tishead, is said to have inspired his work. It is also believed that Banksy is a native of this city, born in the early 1970s. His first major mural, The Mild Mild West, depicting a ted- dy bear throwing a Molotov cocktail at three police officers, was paint- ed in Bristol in 1999. He moved to London in the early 2000s, where he continued to attract attention
with his satirical street art, creat- ing sharply critical and anti-author- itarian art in public places. He became a celebrity in his own right in the mid-2000s, albeit an anonymous one. It was also then that his works became more ambi- tious and began appearing in cities around the world. The new Banksy soon became a media phenomenon. His mythical status as a masked artist mocking authority brought him in- ternational renown, and his often po- litically charged works began selling for huge sums, with buyers like Brad Pitt or Christina Aguilera. His Girl with Balloon work actually self-de- structed live at Sotheby’s auction house in 2018, where it shredded itself moments after being sold for a million pounds! Banksy’s story is never-end-
ing, which is why we’ll get back to what is being summarised on three floors in Belgrade, where more than 100 of his works are being present- ed, together with works of artists who influenced him, such as War- hol, Picasso and Blek le Rat. The exhibition reveals the diverse na- ture of his world and some of his most famous works, including Fly- ing Copper, Monkey Queen, Bomb Hugger, Flag, Toxic Mary, Applause and others. Also on display are tiles presenting his recognisable graph- ic motifs and most famous art pro- jects. And the more you get to know the work of this unique artist, the less his actual identity matters to you. It could be a movement, or Rob- ert from Massive Attack; it could be any of us. Who is Banksy? Does it even matter?
40 | Umetnost » Art
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