Yzabelle Bostyn
SPAIN’s second Banksy museum has caused controversy after opening in Madrid.
The museum claims to have Europe’s ‘largest ever’ collection of life size Banksy ‘creations’ but has drawn criticisms from art lovers.
The problem? None of the pieces are actually by the artist.
In fact, the 170 works on display are recreations of Banksy’s most famous pieces by uncredited Spanish painters.
While it has received rave reviews from visitors since it opened in January, the museum has also drawn criticism from fans, who believe the controversial artist’s work is being ‘copied for profit’.
“It goes against Banksy’s own message against the marketisation of art, doesn’t it?” El Confidencial culture writer, A Nuño writes.
But the creator of the museum, Haziz Vardar, has defended the project, whose profits are reportedly donated to refugee charities.
“The message is more important than the technique and all the messages are here,” he said.
“A few months after I opened the first museum, Banksy came out and said he encourages people to make copies. I’m a conservationist.”
Museum coordinator Agustina Guzman, shared this view, saying: “We respect the original size and technique used so the works are as similar as they can be to the original. We want visitors to feel like they are standing in front of the real work of art.”
This is not the first time British artist Banksy has caused a stir in Spain.
An exhibition bearing his name came to Madrid in 2018 after Belgian authorities confiscated almost 60 pieces over licensing issues.
It returned in 2021 with ‘original pieces, sculptures, installations and photographs’ according to event promoter IQ Art Management.
Although most of his pieces appear in the UK, Banksy has been linked to Spain on multiple occasions.
Last year, photos surfaced of a man believed to be the artist painting a circus truck in the Alpujarra mountains in Granada.
The 17-tonne lorry was painted in 2000 while Banksy was still ‘under the radar’.
It later became known as Turbo Zone Truck (Laugh Now But One Day We’ll Be In Charge) and went up for auction at £1.5million after being authenticated by his studio.
Also in Andalucia, the artist was reportedly invited to paint a strip club on the set of failed BBC soap El Dorado near Coin.
According to an interview with Banksy in Level Magazine, he refused after being told to buy his own paint and spent the week ‘going to work’ along the Costa del Sol with a stripper.
Then in 2018, a regeneration project in the Galician town of Ferrol de Coruña caused a stir after inviting the British artist to paint there.
A message spray painted onto a wall read ‘reserved for Banksy’ and five months later an image of two Guardia Civil officers kissing appeared.
Believed to be a nod to Banksy’s famous ‘Kissing Coppers’ in which two policemen are seen locking lips, the artist later confirmed the piece was not by him.
The museum has branches in Madrid’s Arganzuela neighbourhood and Barcelona’s Calle Trafalgar.
It opens from 10am-8pm, with tickets from €14 per person.
