War Capitalism & Liberty, Palazzo Ciopolla, Through 4 September 2016
This exhibition of works by the famous street-artist Banksy, currently on view at Rome’s Palazzo Ciopolla, is a rather extraordinary event. It actually could be called a mirror reflection of Banksy as, for more than two decades now, the artist, who has never publicly revealed his identity, has been decorating street walls around the world (usually, illegally) with socially and politically relevant messages. In a sense, the “War Capitalism & Liberty” exhibition is also “illegal” in that it has not been authorised by the artist, nor has he had any input in organising it. More than 100 works by Banksy are on view, as well as 68 album and CD covers, most of which are on loan from private collections. The organisers stress that none of the works have been “taken from the street”, for they are all commercial pieces that Banksy and his dealers have officially sold.
One of Banksy’s most recent public works is a set of murals in the French city of Calais (a site of refugee and migrant camps) featuring Steve Jobs, whose father was a Syrian immigrant.
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