Banksy: Building Castles in the Sky ~ an Unauthorized Exhibition in NYC

 

 

 

Mickey Snake, 2015; Fiberglass, polyester resin, acrylic; 72 x 82 x 262 cm

Banksy Building Castles in the Sky, one of the biggest exhibitions featuring original artworks of one of the most influential contemporary artists is opening on May 28 in New York City.

The exhibition – organized by MetaMorfosi NY – is based on the results of an independent interdisciplinary academic research project about Banksy with a museum-style layout and will feature over 120 original artworks through an intellectually immersive journey into the mind of the artist.

Girl with Balloon, 2004-2005; Silkscreen print; 76 x 56 cm

Among those are some of the most iconic works such as: Girl with Balloon, Love is in the Air (Flower Thrower), Bomb Hugger, Family Target, Gangsta Rat, Mickey Snake, Rubber Ducky, and Toxic Mary. 

The featured works were procured from privately owned collections, curated by Stefano Antonelli and Gianluca Marziani who make a contribution of high scientific and cultural value towards interpreting this art. In this exhibit, MetaMorfosi seeks to comply with Banksy’s intentions, creating a strictly non-commercial, raw exhibit of thorough academic analyses of Banksy’s psyche and work being treated as if he were one of the great classical artist.

Gangsta Rat, 2004; Silkscreen print; 50 x 35 cm

Banksy Building Castles in the Sky is not an immersive exhibition of reproductions,” commented Stefano Antonelli and Gianluca Marziani, curators of the exhibition, “but an incredible collection of original and authenticated pieces that will allow viewers to discover the mysterious universe of the Bristol-born street artist.”

Bomb Love (Bomb Hugger), 2003; Silkscreen print; 70 x 50 cm.

“Banksy continues to push boundaries and question the morals of society with his ironic, iconic, and irreverent style. His identity makes up only a small fraction of the mystery, as his work is truly the metaphorical iceberg that penetrates deep into the core of humanity, his work of which only scratches the surface,” they elaborated

Family Target, 2003; Spray paint on board, 90 x 90 cm.

“MetaMorfosi NY realizes its first major exhibition in New York offering a museum and academic interpretation of Banksy, as if it were Michelangelo or Raphael” commented Pietro Folena, President of MetaMorfosi NY.

Love Is In The Air (Flower Thrower), 2003; Silkscreen print; 50 x 70 cm.

The exhibit is accompanied by a catalog that provides admirers with a more in-depth understanding of Banksy’s work, featuring a series of interdisciplinary analyses by art curators and professors tying together various complex themes. The catalog is published by Sagep and Rizzoli International and will be distributed by Rizzoli International in the world and within the exhibit’s bookstore.

The exhibit will be open from May 28 to September 5 in the former International Center of Photography Museum (250 Bowery St.), located in the heart of Manhattan’s most interesting artistic areas where many urban artists have left their mark

Virgin Mary (Toxic Mary), 2003; Silkscreen print; 76 x 56 cm

About MetaMorfosi NY

MetaMorfosi NY is a no-profit Inc. promoting art and culture through exhibition projects around the world. The group had organized exhibitions in major Italian cities featuring the most important figures in Italian art such as Michelangelo, Leonardo, Raffaello, Botticelli, Caravaggio, Canaletto, Canova, De Chirico among others. MetaMorfosi NY has recently opened a department to study urban art which is treated with the same scientific and investigative criteria used to analyze the major classical artists.

Rubber Ducky, 2006, Acrylic paint on canvas, 91 x 91 cm

Banksy Building Castles in the Sky will be on view to September 5, 2022 in the former International Center of Photography Museum located at 250 Bowery Street. The exhibition is open Monday ~ Thursday from 11am to 6pm, Friday ~ Sunday from 10am to 7pm.

IMPORTANT NOTE: The organizers and curators of the event wish to inform the public that the artist known as Banksy is not involved in the exhibition whatsoever and has not provided any endorsements or support nor artworks for this project. The artworks have been authenticated and catalog approved by Banksy’s legal body, Pest Control Office Ltd. after being submitted for accuracy and authenticity checks.

Did you know that NYC has a Banksy on the Upper West Side? Banksy also paid a visit to former HSBC bank branch (which was the home of the historic Julien Binford Murals) located at 101 West 14th Street, and painted ‘Rat Race’ on the clock over the entrance? And Banksy graced the Bowery Wall in 2018.