Banksy paints cute cat to draw attention to horrors in Gaza
- Text by Shelley Jones
Say what you like about Banksy – and people have, and they have again, and if there’s anything worse than a righteous street artist it’s a righteous street artist critic so please stop now – but the Bristol-born enigma has a unique ability to get eyes on an issue.
His latest urban intervention – a series of murals in war-torn Gaza and a complimentary YouTube video documenting the destruction – is testament to the power he has garnered as a social prankster.
A weeping goddess, kids riding a watchtower like a fairground ride and text – “If we wash our hands of the conflict between the powerful and the powerless we side with the powerful – we don’t remain neutral” – are some of the pieces that have popped up in Gaza, which human rights activists are calling an ‘open-air prison’.
One of his more obscure paintings is of a kitten with a bow. Banksy gave an explanation on his website: “A local man came up and said ‘Please – what does this mean?’ I explained I wanted to highlight the destruction in Gaza by posting photos on my website – but on the internet people only look at pictures of kittens.”
The complimentary video is disguised, in true Banksy fashion, as a tourism video promoting Gaza as a go-to destination. The upbeat messages – “The locals like it so much they never leave” – juxtaposed with scenes of absolute devastation are painfully poignant in their irony and pretty difficult to watch.
So far the video has over 1.5 million views on YouTube. Increased awareness is a great thing, and if the public keep putting pressure on people in positions of power perhaps the plight of the Palestinian people will not remain so incredibly bleak.
You might like
Inside Parkuir: the art project queering sport, space and our bodies
Lie and play — Founded by Maria Laudes and Guiu Gimeno, it provides a framework for engaging, subverting, and celebrating the small details that make people unique – and queer.
Written by: Molly Lipson
A major Nan Goldin exhibition is coming to London
You Never Did Anything Wrong — Opening at the Hayward Gallery in November, the show will debut a new film from the artist and activist, alongside a slate of recent work.
Written by: Jack Dennison-Thompson
Tender portraits of women serving life sentences in America
Looking Inside — While working as a public defender attorney in New York State, Sara Bennett found dilapidated prisons and forgotten people. Her new photobook harnesses the power of images and shines a humanising light on those imprisoned for serious crimes and their reintegration into society, while asking questions of the USA’s incarceration system.
Written by: Miss Rosen
Activists replace Union Jacks with ‘Tax The Rich’ flags in Farage’s Clacton
Take Back Power — It comes after the Reform UK leader resigned as an MP and triggered a by-election in the constituency, following scrutiny over a £5 million donation that he had not declared.
Written by: Ella Glossop
Tish Murtha’s searing documentation of broken Britain
Vandalism on a Grand Scale — Capturing youth unemployment and poverty in north-east England during the ’80s, the photographer never lived to see her work published. A new photobook by British Culture Archive brings her eye-opening work to light.
Written by: Miss Rosen
Ra’ed Khan and the tireless work of Road to Freedom
Hurriyah — Having been providing frontline aid and support to refugees for over a decade, a new book featuring poetry by Omar Mooro traces the story of the NGO. In this chapter extract, founder and music executive Ra’ed Khan explains its origins.
Written by: Isaac Muk
