Did Banksy sneak into one of the world’s biggest art shows? Street artist posts Instagram video of mysterious figure unveiling tongue-in-cheek work at the Venice Biennale
- Banksy posted a video to his Instagram account with the caption ‘setting out my stall at the Venice Biennale’
- Mysterious figure sets up a series of oil paintings that depict a huge cruise liner barging down the city’s canals
- Police quickly put a stop to the unauthorised display, before the figure walks away past a real-life cruise ship
- ‘Despite being the largest art event in the world, for some reason I’ve never been invited,’ Banksy added
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Banksy may have appeared in person at one of the world’s largest art shows to unveil his latest work – depicting a cruise liner barging through the city’s canals.
The elusive British street artist posted a video to his Instagram entitled ‘setting out my stall at the Venice Biennale’ which shows a mysterious figure at the art show.
Keeping his face hidden, the figure unveils a series of oil canvasses which – when viewed together – show the huge ship dwarfing the city and its traditional gondolas.
Next to it, a sign reads: ‘Venice in oil.’
British street artist Banksy posted a video to Instagram of a mysterious figure unveiling a series of oil canvasses at the Venice Biennale which, viewed together, depict a huge cruise liner dwarfing the city
The title of the piece, Venice in Oil, is shown on a sign next to it. ‘Despite being the largest and most prestigious art event in the world, for some reason I’ve never been invited,’ the painter wrote on social media
The figure then sits down next to the paintings to read a newspaper – face still covered – as members of the public walk past and admire the work.
But the unauthorised installation is quickly spotted by police officers, who order the person to remove it.
With the paintings packed back into a wooden crate, the figure is then shown walking alongside a canal while an actual cruise ship passes by in the background.
‘Despite being the largest and most prestigious art event in the world, for some reason I’ve never been invited,’ Banksy added.
The video has been viewed more than 2million times since being uploaded on Wednesday, far more views than any post from the official Biannale account.
Rumours had been swirling that Banksy was at the Biennale after a piece of graffiti depicting a migrant holding a flare appeared on the island of Dorsoduro ahead of the exhibition’s opening
Artists from around the world pack into pavilions to display their works at the art Biennale, which lasts from May 11 until November 24.
The theme of this year’s event is May You Live In Interesting Times.
There were rumours that Banksy was at the Biennale after a piece of graffiti appeared alongside a canal depicting a migrant child holding a flare.
It appeared on the island of Dorsoduro last week and coincided with the city’s Biennale art exhibition which attracts hundreds of thousands of people.
It would not be the first time Banksy has chosen the plight of migrants for his work.
In 2015, he sprayed an image of Apple founder Steve Jobs – the son of a Syrian refugee – onto the migrant camp at Calais.
The painting, called ‘The Jungle,’ showed Jobs carrying an Apple computer and a black bin bag.