A Banksy work has been removed from the shutters of London Zoo to protect it and allow the institution to make the most of its hotspot during the busy summer season.
The gorilla and other animals They seemed to have escaped from London Zooin Banksy’s most recent work They have been placed in safekeeping. Zoo authorities reported that they had decided to remove the mural of the elusive street artist from one of its doors to preserve it, and to put its entrance back into full operation, after crowds of visitors came to see him over five days last week.
It was covered with a reproduction of the work and a sign in British slang that read: ‘Banksy woz ere’. Something like: ‘Banksy was here‘.
“We are thrilled by the joy this work of art has already brought to so many people and, above all, we are incredibly grateful to Banksy, for putting wildlife in the spotlight“said Kathryn England, the zoo’s director of operations, on the institution’s website.
The work, painted with a stencil, showed a gorilla holding part of the roller fence, allowing the birds to fly away and a sea lion waddled away while three pairs of eyes could be seen from the darkness inside.
This is the last of the animal-themed works of the artist who have appeared for nine consecutive days in London, and the fifth in the series to have been stolen, defaced or moved to a safe location for protection.
Other recent works by Banksy
The image of a howling wolf on a satellite dish to make it look like a painted silhouette with the full moon as a backgroundwas stolen by masked men a few hours after the artist confirmed that it was his work on Instagram. Meanwhile, an aging poster depicting a stretched-out big cat was dismantled by a group of people as onlookers booed them.
And rhinoceros painted on a wall of brick, which seemed to be riding on a vehicle of the Nissan brand broken down and parked on the sidewalk, it was defaced and the car was removed.
Although there has been much speculation about the meaning of the project, Banksy has stated that his intention was raise public spirits during a period in which news headlines have been bleak, as well as highlighting the human capacity for creative play rather than destruction and negativity.
Video editor • Theo Farrant
