Despite not being invited at the Venice Biennale, guerrilla artist Banksy, posted a video of himself last week on instagram setting out his stall.
You can see him puzzling up paintings creating the image of a giant cruise ship in the canal with a very small sign reading « Venice In Oil ». After being removed for setting up an unlicensed art stall in the central Saint Mark’s Square, he packs up and leaves taking a small motorboat on the laguna.
On his Instagram account he wrote:
“Setting out my stall at the Venice Biennale. Despite being the largest and most prestigious art event in the world, for some reason I’ve never been invited.” (link video instagram Banksy: @banksy)
« Venice In Oil » seems to refer to oil painting and the immense pollution this gigantic cruise ship generates by transporting tourists across the Mediterranean. The ship’s size compared to the small cardboard sign representing Venice in oil highlights the visual pollution of these cruise ships, shadowing and occulting the most beautiful monuments of Venice.
Banksy also left a graffiti, that even though he has not yet claimed it, is surely his. That of the child who lights the emergency light. Banksy is doing a double blow in Venice by denouncing the violence of mass tourism that destroys beauty, and the lack of humanity of world leaders concerning refugees.
Previously published on June 8th by MODEM