"BANKSY - A VANDAL TURNED IDOL" - The successful exhibition is coming to the European Capital of Culture: Chemnitz!
The Chemnitz market hall is an architectural jewel and one of the most characteristic historical buildings in the city of Chemnitz. With its unique charm, spacious areas and lively location, the Markthalle Chemnitz is an ideal place to take visitors on a visually and content-wise impressive journey of discovery through Banksy's work following extensive renovations and modernisations in recent years.
The exhibition is divided into various sections that place Banksy's mostly political works in an overall context. Visitors are accompanied by a free audio guide (available in German and English), which can be accessed on their own smartphone via the free exhibition WiFi. In around two hours, the background to the creation of the works and approaches to interpretation are explained, providing a new perspective on Banksy's work. The main components of the exhibition are 11 original works and 44 limited original prints from private collectors' collections. Public favourites such as the world-famous "Girl With Balloon" are exhibited in the form of a two-part series on canvas, while Banksy's famous rats are the subject of an entire section of the exhibition with numerous limited edition prints. Artworks by related artists such as Andy Warhol are also on display, as they had a significant influence on Banksy's work. Complemented by various memorabilia and audiovisual media content, visitors are given an unprecedented insight into the work and background of the artist known worldwide as Banksy. In addition to short films shown in the various rooms of the tour, visitors can look forward to two multimedia highlights in particular: the Media Hall offers an immersive experience in which visitors become part of Banksy's work through a 360-degree projection. Those who want to immerse themselves even deeper can look forward to a virtual reality experience. Using VR goggles, you accompany the artist on a tour of his home city of Bristol and find out what a graffiti artist's day might look like. Both the Media Hall and the VR experience are included in the ticket price and cost no additional fee.
Provocative and mysterious, the British artist, whose identity has remained unknown for years, is considered one of the most important contemporary icons of street art. His often satirical artworks deal with universal themes such as politics, culture and ethics. True to the title BANKSY - A VANDAL TURNED IDOL, the exhibition highlights Banksy's most important works, which frame his unusual and controversial career. The exhibition explores the origins of the title: how did a graffiti hooligan, despised by law enforcement officers and large sections of society, become a globally celebrated and respected artist? From the tarmac trenches, the artist has not only challenged the rules of contemporary art, his visual protests appeal to such a large and heterogeneous audience that he is now one of the best-known and most accomplished artists, and not just among the younger generation. The aura of mystery that arises every time Banksy is mentioned is deliberately or necessarily maintained, making him the most mythical figure of our time. Original works and prints, which are not normally accessible to the public, now provide a kind of decision-making basis for visitors: who is Banksy for you - a vandal or an idol?