Banksy Paints Animal Murals Across London
Leaving No Explanation, Sparking Curiosity
Banksy, known as the "faceless artist," revealed his fourth work this week, but it was stolen within an hour of its unveiling.
On the 8th (local time), the UK’s BBC reported that Banksy left an image of a wolf howling at the moon on a satellite antenna atop a building on Peckham Rye Lane in South London. According to Google Maps, the satellite antenna featuring the wolf image was not originally there, suggesting that Banksy may have newly installed the satellite antenna with the artwork. However, the piece was stolen in less than an hour after its reveal.
London police authorities said they received a theft report and are investigating but have not yet caught the culprit. BBC reported that the theft was captured on a witness’s mobile phone. Tom Kellow, who witnessed the theft, explained that one of the masked thieves was removing the satellite antenna from the building’s roof, while the other two were standing next to a ladder.
He said one of the thieves kicked him in the side, and another snatched the phone that was recording the theft and threw it onto the roof. However, the phone hit a tree and fell, so it was not taken away.
On the 8th (local time), a thief is seen carrying away a satellite antenna containing Banksy's new work from the rooftop of a building on Lyne Road, Peckham, London. [Image source=AP News]
This week, Banksy has been leaving animal murals in London daily. On the 5th, he left a mural of a goat on a building wall near Kew Bridge in southwest London. On the 6th, he revealed murals of two elephants on a residential building in Chelsea’s Edith Terrace. Then, on the 7th, he left a mural of three monkeys swinging on a bridge wall where trains pass in Brick Lane, a secondhand fashion street in East London.
Banksy has not provided any explanation for these works, increasing curiosity about their meaning. Some interpret these animal murals as the "London Zoo series," suggesting they symbolize the far-right rioters who have recently unsettled the UK by comparing them to animals. Others speculate that the goat revealed on the first day, a common livestock animal in Palestine, expresses solidarity with Palestinian civilians suffering from the Gaza war.
On December 22 last year (local time), a man was removing a Banksy artwork. [Image source=AP Yonhap News]
This is not the first time Banksy’s work has been stolen. In December last year, two men cut out a stop sign artwork installed by Banksy with tools and fled, causing controversy. At the time, Jazzmin Ali, Deputy Mayor of Southwark, said on Instagram, "It is shameful that Banksy’s installation, which belongs to everyone, was stolen," and added, "We want to recover it so everyone can enjoy it together."
Meanwhile, Banksy, whose real name and identity remain unknown, is a globally famous artist who has left murals with messages not only in the UK but around the world. He authenticates his genuine works by posting photos of them on social media.
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