LONDON – A new work by Banksy she appeared in the crowd during a concert at the traditional Glastonbury rock festival, one of the most popular events of the English summer. On Friday evening, as the In slow motiona punk band known for its radical political stances, someone literally launched a dinghy carrying the inflatable forms of migrant children wearing life jackets over the heads of concertgoers. At first it was not clear who it was, but soon among those present. the concert Rumor has it that it was Banksy’s work.
The next day, a representative of the mysterious English artist, whose true identity remains unknown, confirmed that the installation bore his signature. Banksy is known for his politically inspired graffiti, murals and sculptures, his pacifist campaigns, in defense of the environment and against violence of all kinds. During the concert, Idles incited the crowd to sing chants against the monarchy and against King Charles.
An inflatable boat with migrant models at the Glastonbury festival: it could be by Banksy
The punk band, who later said they had not been informed of Banksy’s move, were singing a song about migrants when the artist’s canoe appeared. The enigmatic artist has a long history of collaboration with Glastonbury, where he has presented other works in the past and where one of his exhibitions has been held.
Immigration is one of the main themes of this year’s rock festival, with a space specially designated to conduct a survey of the subject among the public. Banksy himself proposed in 2019 to finance a boat to help migrants reach Europe.
“I’m an artist from the UKI have done work on migrants and, of course, I do not want to keep the money I have earned from them for myself,” he wrote to the director of an NGO helping migrants in difficulty in the Mediterranean. “You could use it to buy a new ship. Let me know. You are doing a great job. Thank you.”