SEE THE NEW BANKSY MURAL THAT CRITICIZES FRENCH TREATMENT OF MIGRANTS.
New Bansky Artwork in London Hits a Nerve — and Is Boarded Up
LONDON — A new interactive mural by cult graffiti artist Banksy
popped up in London over the weekend — but good luck getting a look.
Painted on the wall of a building site opposite
the French Embassy, the piece is the latest in a series from the
secretive artist criticizing the way refugees and migrants are treated
at the Calais "Jungle" camp in northern France.
The mural, which criticizes the French government's treatment of migrants, was quickly covered up.
The mural, based on the iconic poster for the
hit musical Les Miserables, depicts a young girl with tears in her eyes,
and the French national flag in the background.
Next to the spray-painted image is a QR code
which, when captured on cell phone, links to a video showing French
police using tear gas to disperse crowds in the Calais Jungle earlier
this month.
But the powerful statement was not there for
long. Banksy fans who came to see the artwork Monday were disappointed
to find it hidden behind wooden boards.
"I heard about it on Twitter this morning," said
Jason Illagan, 32, who came to see the mural on his lunch break. "I saw
pictures of it online. It would have been good to see it in person."
Marina Truelove, 55, has long been a fan of Banksy's work and thinks it is an "absolute disgrace" that someone covered it up.
"This I heard about on the radio last night, and
I just thought I've got to see it," she told NBC News. "I'm just really
annoyed that they've taken it down so early."
This isn't the first time Banksy has used his cult art power to draw attention to the refugee crisis in Europe.
In December, the artist visited Calais and created a work depicting Steve Jobs,
the late founder of Apple, with a bag over his shoulder and an early
model of an Apple computer in his hand. In a rare statement reported in
the British media, Banksy explained that he painted Steve Jobs because
he was the son of a Syrian migrant from Homs.
And last summer, Banksy exhibited Dismaland, a
sell-out dystopian theme park installation that portrayed the refugee
crisis in several of its pieces. Many of the remnants of the artwork were later taken to Calais to help make shelters for residents.
Many of those hoping to see his latest work on
the streets of London's upscale Knightsbridge expected to see another
iteration of Banksy's political message.
"His images are so strong and so poignant that
you've only got to look at them to see what his message is," Truelove
told NBC News. "Banksy is wherever the politics are and for now this is
poignant and relevant politics… until the refugees are looked after the
way they should be."
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