Banksy, an artist best known for his graffiti and the enigma around his identity, piques the curiosity of people around the world. In Argentina, during the last five years, some of the queries that link to the artist are related to “Girl with Balloon”, the work that self-destructed after being sold in 2018, his identity and street art. His art can be discovered on walls and galleries in different cities around the world, but also in virtual collections of Google Arts & Culture and through Street View.
Banksy’s 11 most important murals can be seen on the platform thanks to the collaboration with Graffiti General and the Global Street Art Foundation. In this collection of Google Arts & Culture you can explore some of the following murals: “The Falling Shopper”, one of his best preserved works, since it is painted about seven meters above the ground in Bruton Lane; “The Royal Family”, with its representation of British royalty, both in London; and “The Girl with the Pierced Eardrum”, his parody of “The Girl with the Pearl” by Vermeer (Bristol, UK), among others.
The Falling Shopper and The Girl with the Pierced Eardrum are two of the works that can be seen in Google Arts & Culture.
Likewise, the Banksy, Banksy & More Banksy collection – also available on the platform freely and free of charge – collects a large part of the artist’s famous graffiti works in conjunction with the Global Street Art Foundation. In fact, through the Google Arts & Culture application, they can be enjoyed in augmented reality thanks to the Art Projector tool, which allows you to know how these unique pieces of art look in real size and project them at any time and place. Some curiosities
“Who is Banksy?” This is one of the queries related to this artist that people search for on Google in Argentina. But his identity is not only an unknown in our country, but an enigma for the world. While little is known about this artist, there are some facts that are known. The collection 7 facts about Banksy, also available in Google Arts & Culture, includes some curiosities of the artist to be able to fully know his work and legacy. Some facts that are told are:
He was nominated for an Oscar for Exit through the gift shop in 2010. To attend the ceremony, he asked to do so in a costume, but his request was refused.
He was named by the Times magazine – along with Barack Obama and Steve Jobs – as one of the 100 most influential people and, to portray this recognition, he sent an iconic image of himself with a paper bag over his head.
In 2015, he opened Dismaland, an ironic theme park in the south of England, which was characterized by bad food, ineffective employees and horrible attractions.
Banksy in the world with Street View
The artist’s work can be found on buildings and walls in different parts of the world and, although some were removed or painted, they still live in virtuality. In Google Arts & Culture you can find a collection that groups 12 murals of the artist available in Street View, such as his representation of the girl from “Les Miserables” in front of the French Embassy, in London and “Cat and Dog”, in Bristol. In addition, in Google Maps, when searching for “Banksy”, as a result the locations and images of different works of the artist are shown, as well as galleries and museums where his creations can be appreciated. Some of the works that can be seen are: “I love London, Robbo”; “Guard dog” and “The Falling Shop”.
