Omg, you guys. Guys, omg. Like, we’re floored. So totally astounded. Omg. Like, wow.
Absolutely bloody NO ONE will be surprised to learn that that very spurious video of a bespectacled, hooded “””Banksy””” WAS NOT ACTUALLY BANKSY.
And now, we continue to be ABSOLUTELY SHOCKED to learn that the signed “””Banksy””” piece that appeared in Melbourne – featuring One Nation senator Pauline Hanson wearing a t-shirt that says “Fuck off, we’re fools”, captioned ‘Please Explain’ – is FAKE.
First sign that #Banksy has arrived in #Melbourne? https://t.co/wxosyJJrHA Pic: @CDTalbot pic.twitter.com/rMw7bU0ywG
— ??R??AN ©ASEY (@BrendoCasey) October 5, 2016
The piece, which is up in the oft-graf’d Hosier Lane in Melbourne, has been confirmed as a complete hoax.
Crikey requested an email statement from Banksy‘s manager, Jo Brooks, who has flat-out denied the authenticity of the piece.
She refers to both the video and the piece as “totally fake” and a “blatant attempt to garner publicity for an unauthorised show”.
“Please can advise your viewers that the artist Banksy is NOT in Melbourne and has no plans to come to Australia.”
Crikey also gained a response from Pest Control, an agency who works with Banksy to verify the heavily plagiarised artworks – they also denied the authenticity:
“This is a hoax. […] The show in Melbourne has nothing to do with Banksy, it’s an unauthorised show”.
Soooo… Both the agency and Brooks are referring to the enormous Banksy exhibition that’s beginning in Melbourne this month, which has been organised by Steve Lazarides, a former agent of the street artist.
Regardless of Banksy‘s involvement, the massive show is hotly anticipated. It’ll bring together 80 privately owned Banksy artworks, and is being held at The Paddock in Melbourne over the next 3 months.
Source: Crikey.
Photo: Brendan Casey/Twitter.
