In Belgrade, two rival Banksy exhibitions have sparked a debate on the commercialization of street art. While one offers a curated, ticketed experience, the other challenges its legitimacy by advocating for free public access.
Belgrade has become the stage for a clash over Banksy’s artistic legacy, as two rival exhibitions have ignited debate on the commercialization of street art. While one offers a curated multimedia experience featuring authenticated works, the other challenges the commodification of an artist whose ethos rejects profit-driven art.
Banksy, the elusive British street artist, has spent decades leaving his politically charged murals across cities worldwide, from London and Los Angeles to the occupied West Bank. Fiercely protective of his anonymity, he rarely endorses exhibitions showcasing his work, yet his art continues to draw global attention.
The first of Belgrade’s competing exhibitions, simply titled Banksy, presents a collection of prints, posters, album covers, collaborations with Greenpeace, and the alternative opening sequence Banksy created for The Simpsons. Organized by Slovenia’s Deva Puri gallery and curated by David Rjazancev, the exhibition provides a multimedia journey through Banksy’s work, featuring pieces borrowed from galleries, museums, and private collections. Tickets are priced at approximately 1,300 dinars (€11).
However, this commercialized approach has sparked criticism, prompting the creation of a counter-exhibition, Fake Banksy, Real Message, which is free to the public. Its curator, Nemanja Janjic, argues that charging admission contradicts the very essence of Banksy’s message. “Banksy’s art is a critique of consumerism, elitism, and profit,” Janjic asserts. “It carries a clear message that art should be accessible to all.”
His exhibition does not feature original Banksy works, but instead showcases pieces inspired by his style and themes. Visitors are invited to shred artworks using a paper shredder, an homage to Love Is in the Bin, Banksy’s 2018 Sotheby’s stunt in which his painting partially self-destructed immediately after being sold at auction. “His works aren’t meant for mass consumption,” says Vanja, a Belgrade resident who visited Fake Banksy, Real Message. “He’s neither a capitalist nor a commercial artist.”
Belgrade, a city known for its vibrant street art, is no stranger to murals with strong political and cultural significance. Its walls display portraits of warlords, rock legends, poets, nationalist tributes to Russia, and assertions of Serbian claims over Kosovo. Against this backdrop, the Banksy debate underscores a broader discussion on the purpose and ownership of public art in an era of increasing commercialization.
With AFP
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