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Since its launch on Monday, August 5th, Banksy’s exciting London Zoo series took participants on an exciting and immersive animal search across various locations in London, prompting widespread engagement and appreciation for the artist’s work.
The series kicked off with the surprise sighting of a Mountain Gazelle precariously perched on the edge, with the ground giving way beneath its hooves. Adding to the tension is the presence of a CCTV camera, ominously pointing towards the animal, capturing its uncertain fate. This sparked numerous interpretations and theories about the gazelle’s significance, although Banksy did not provide any additional context on his Instagram page. Read more here.
Image Copyright Banksy
The next day, the mysterious artist astonished us by revealing the unexpected presence of two elephants in Chelsea. As the elephants gazed at each other from neighbouring windows, speculation arose about whether this was a representation of the “elephant in the room.”
On closer inspection, we can see the elephants differ; the one on the left has tusks, whereas the one on the right does not. African elephants, both males and females, can have tusks, while in Asian elephants, tusks are predominantly found in males and not in females. Read more here.
Image Copyright Banksy
On the third day, a playful arrangement of three monkeys appeared across Brick Lane on the overground bridge. Banksy’s ingenious use of the urban surroundings to position his stencils was evident. These three monkeys also evoked the concept of “hear no evil, see no evil, and speak no evil.”
This timeless concept, originating from Japan, encourages individuals to avoid participating in or being exposed to immoral or harmful actions. The three monkeys have at least two contrasting interpretations. In the Buddhist tradition, they symbolise the avoidance of negative thoughts and actions. In the Western context, however, it is often seen as a way of dealing with wrongdoing by turning a blind eye. Read more here.
Image Copyright Banksy
As the week unfolded, each day brought new surprises. On day four, the sight of a lone wolf stencilled howling onto a satellite dish in Peckham Rye grabbed everyone’s attention—only for the piece to be stolen within an hour of the artist confirming its presence. Read more here.
Image Copyright Banksy
Friday showcased two hungry pelicans gracing the walls of Bonner’s Fish and Chip Shop, adding a fun piece to Fryday. One pelican perched above the yellow sign is savouring a fish, while the second one to the left of the sign is depicted as consuming a fish within the sign, cleverly integrating the fish from the sign into the artwork.
Although the owner had actually left on vacation, there were no fish and chips for us! Read more here.
Image Copyright Banksy
Saturday, we witnessed a wild cat seemingly clawing a billboard, creating an illusion of escape to the other side. The piece is surrounded by a red border, while the scattered wooden pieces on the pavement convey a feeling of movement. You can see daylight through the wood as the cat instinctively scratches through, although, on closer inspection, we can see the animal is restrained by a black chain around its neck.
The billboard contractors swiftly removed the artwork the same day, much to the boos of onlookers. Read more here.
Image Copyright GraffitiStreet
Sunday’s creation featured a distinctive stencil portraying a shoal of piranhas inside a police box. Piranhas are often portrayed as extremely dangerous in movies and media, but in reality, they typically do not pose a serious risk to humans and only attack when they feel threatened. Some popular film depictions of piranhas that have contributed to the portrayal of these fish as fearsome predators include “Piranha” (1978) and the James Bond movie “You Only Live Twice” (1967), where the Piranha pool is a device created for conducting dramatic executions. Considering the seat inside the police box, perhaps we are overlooking a subject at this scene!
Read more here.
Image Copyright GraffitiStreet
“Funday Monday” presented a fun piece with a randy rhino playfully depicted as if humping a Nissan Micra. The meticulous attention to detail, such as the lowered back of the car to represent the weight and a traffic cone on the bonnet! made this artwork truly stand out.
Image Copyright GraffitiStreet
Tuesday marked a poignant culmination as a black silhouette piece adorned the shutters of the London Zoo. Here, a gorilla was depicted holding up the shutters with its strength, releasing seals, birds, and bats, while enigmatic eyes in the background seemed to be overseeing the scene, evoking a sense of impending freedom. The animal silhouettes resemble the iconic black silhouettes featured on London Zoo’s promotional material.
Image Copyright GraffitiStreet
The impactful animal stencils made the summer of 2024 in London fun, igniting contemplation and dialogue about their significance—despite Banksy’s assertion that they were created just for amusement!
Image Copyright Banksy
Once again, Banksy has transformed everyday urban spaces into thought-provoking and fun art galleries. Which day was your favourite?
