The Elusive “Banksy” Strikes Again

The graffiti artist and prankster Robert Banks, aka “Banksy” recently installed four temporary exhibitions at the Museum of Modern Art, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Brooklyn Museum and the American Museum of Natural History. Each were eventually removed but not before a few unsuspecting visitors happened upon them and not before an accomplice of Banksy’s was able to snap off a few photos of the works being installed.

When asked whether the new Banksy additions were a concern to museums in terms of security, museum officials indicated that it was not an issue and that sufficient security was in place.

The unauthorized presence of works of art in museums is not totally uncommon and the response to such works varies from amused to indignant. In a typical haughty-taughty response to Banksy’s new addition, Elyse Topalian, a spokeswoman for the Met, said “I think it's fair to say that it would take more than a piece of Scotch tape to get a work of art into the Met." A similar response came from Sally Williams of the Brooklyn Museum, stating “I think the immediate issue was just to get it out of the gallery and tucked away somewhere where it couldn't be seen." When a dead rat complete with sunglasses, rucksack and mini-microphone appeared in a glass-fronted box at the Natural History Museum last year, the Museum’s response wasn’t nearly as harsh, indicating that if the artist wanted to reclaim the piece it was there for him to pick up.

I think Banksy’s art provides a much needed (humorous) critique of the art world. Indeed many of the well-known artists exhibited in museums would probably have appreciated Banksy’s commentary on the art establishment. The idea that only art historians can decide what is “museum-worthy” art is at the heart of Banksy’s crusade to infiltrate museum collections. Of museums, Banksy believes "these galleries are just trophy cabinets for a handful of millionaires. The public never has any real say in what art they see." While I think this may be a bit of an overstatement, his point is clear—there is a definite bias in terms of what works a museum exhibits and what works they choose to ignore. The question of inclusion for a work in an exhibition can come down to complex circumstances such as prospective donations from wealthy trustees or donors and the stroking of egos, to practical reasons like a work’s size. For whatever reason they were chosen, their inclusion is often unquestioned and ultimately accepted. Banksy’s often humorous inclusions remind us that art can be democratic and the museum is not a shrine or imposing temple to art…it’s a place of contemplation, entertainment, and appreciation.