Off to Banksy's first official exhibition in 14 years since his last. Held in Glasgow

Glasgow ’s Gallery of Modern Art (GoMA) is now hosting the first official Banksy exhibition in fourteen years since the last one, which was held in the artist’s hometown of Bristol in 2009. Although, in fact, dozens of exhibitions on Banksy are now held around the world every year, even in the most outlying locations, none is recognized by the anonymous Bristol street artist.The Glasgow show, scheduled from June 16 to August 28, is therefore a totally different exhibition from the others. Why specifically in Scotland? Banksy explained it to the local newspaper The Herald: there is a statue of the Duke of Wellington on horseback in front of the museum, and for forty years the inhabitants have placed a traffic cone on the duke’s head, despite several attempts by the police to remove it. Every time someone removes it, within a short time it reappears, so much so that the municipality eventually gave up, believing it was too expensive to have the authorities intervene every day to remove the cone. Banksy has stated that that is his favorite work.

The exhibition, titled Cut & Run, will display a selection of works from 1998 to 2023 but not only that: there will also be personal objects that have never been exhibited before (the first room is a reproduction of the artist’s studio). Also present will be the most famous works, such as Kissing Coppers and Girl with balloon, through replicas of murals that have appeared around the world, including recent ones in Ukraine.

“This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to work with an artist who has excited and stimulated people around the world with their work over the past 25 years,” said GoMA director Gareth James. “GoMA has welcomed artists who have been advocating for social justice, taking risks and using innovative practices for nearly three decades; hosting this exhibition is perfect for GoMA and the city. This is an exhibition that people will talk about for years to come and will reward repeat visits to appreciate its reach, insights and subversion.” Susan Aitken, chair of Glasgow City Council, added, "I’m really excited to welcome this Banksy exhibition, which could be the perfect collaboration between artist, gallery and host city. Street art has become one of Glasgow’s signatures, and there is no one who has done more to put street art at the center of culture, politics, and society than Banksy. We are delighted that Banksy has chosen Glasgow to host their work.

Exhibition with unique hours: Sunday through Thursday, open from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m., while on weekends, Friday and Saturday, the gallery rooms open all night, from 9 a.m. to 5 a.m. the next morning. Many visitors may not like the absolute ban on taking photos, however: to ensure that it is respected, the public, as stated on the exhibition website, will be asked to put their cell phones in a locked case for the duration of the exhibition. Those who would like souvenir photos will be provided with Polaroid-equipped attendants whom they can ask to take a photo for free.

Off to Banksy's first official exhibition in 14 years since his last. Held in Glasgow

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