Yes, that headline is click-bait, but it’s also true. The “Art of Banksy” exhibit traveling the globe and coming to Charlotte in late February is not actually authorized by the artist Banksy, and goes against what the anti-capitalist, art-should-be-free-to-the-public street artist stands for. In fact, there’s a warning note on the Banksy website to that effect here.
Editor’s Note: As soon as this published, a loyal reader wrote me to say that she had purchased tickets to attend this show in LA last fall, and that the show never opened there. According to this scoop fan, “They canceled my tickets and my friend’s tickets the day before the show (we had tickets on different days- thus it was a pattern in their business dealings). They had to refund everyone’s money but only if you emailed and requested it, otherwise they would give you a voucher. They did not offer to refund the money, so most people probably thought they didn’t have the option and just accepted the voucher.”
That’s not to say it’s not worth a visit, we’ve got our tickets. But it did inspire us to dig around the web for reviews and info on what to expect from the show. As they say, Caveat Emptor.
The Art of Banksy: “Without Limits” opens in Charlotte on February 25, 2022 at the AvidXExchange, and is scheduled to remain for several weeks. Tickets are available HERE, priced at $27.20 for basic entry and at $35.10 for a “skip the line plus poster” VIP ticket.
Banksy is a pseudonym for the guerilla street artist from England, whose real name and identity are not known, although everything we see does refer to him as a male. He started out as a grafitti artist, and theoretically kept his identity secret to avoid criminal charges. Most of his art is created in public places, and his trademark style is stenciling, probably because it is a faster way to create art and avoid being discovered in the act. He doesn’t only do street art, though, and has created drawings, paintings and installations. Including his own “theme” park installation known as Dismaland.
Banksy is an activist whose works often have a political or social justice message. And while his works can go for well over a million, Banksy has made it clear that his art is not for commercial success. In fact, one of his most famous art stunts was to have a painting which sold in 2008 for $1MM shred itself after the sale while still at the auction house.
The show has already been visited by over 1 million people as it has appeared around the world, and it features 155 artworks, mostly reproductions, with a limited number of originals. Plus prints on different kind of materials, photos, sculptures, installations, digital installations, murals. The show also features some of Banksy’s works reproduced with stencil technique especially for this exhibition, and a video documentary about the artist and his work.
If you aren’t familiar with this world-renowned street artist, who remains anonymous despite his fame, the word on this exhibit is that you will learn quite a bit, and enjoy it. If you are a Banksy or street/public art aficianada, you may find the exhibit commercial and over-simplified. Reviews from the art world have been mixed, here and here for example, but they were also mixed for the Immersive Van Gogh which many Charlotteans enjoyed immensely.
Tickets are for time slots available every half hour:
- Wednesdays: 10 a.m.–8 p.m.
- Thursdays: 10 a.m.–9 p.m.
- Friday: 10 a.m–10 p.m.
- Saturdays: 10 a.m.–10 p.m.
- Sundays: 10 a.m.–8 p.m.
Duration: the visit will take around 60 to 90 minutes
Age requirement: appropriate for all ages per the promoter
If you go, please let us know what you think! Email us at scoopitnews[at]gmail[dot]com.
*style of Banksy photos used in this post were taken by photographers who work with the free downloadable photo resource UNSPLASH and do not represent authenticated Banksy work OR images that will be presented at this exhibit.
