The New York Banksy Museum Is The Largest Banksy Display Ever

Now open in New York’s iconic SoHo neighborhood, The Banksy Museum hosts the world’s largest collection of Banksy’s life-sized murals and artwork. Featuring over 160 pieces from the globally renowned yet enigmatic street artist, the museum offers a tribute to Banksy’s transformative and often fleeting street art from cities like London, Bristol, Paris, Venice, and New York. Visitors are encouraged to dive into the artist’s world, accessing creations that have often disappeared from their original urban canvases. In addition to the legendary street murals, the exhibition includes some of Banksy’s studio work and incorporates animated visuals and video elements to enhance the experience.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of The Banksy Museum

Before deciding to move forward with the museum, the founder, Hazis Vardar, had his doubts when it came to preserving the artist’s work. “Street art belongs in the raw setting of the streets. But if people can’t see it, is it even art? Little of Banksy’s works are visible to the public at large. Most have been stolen for resale, inadvertently destroyed, or erased by overzealous city cleaning teams. Most of this transient art could only be viewed on tiny smartphone screens, which is no way to experience the scale or emotion of Banksy’s work. So we knew that we needed to create an exhibition that would bring Banksy’s art back before the public,” shared Vardar. 

Photo Credit: Courtesy of The Banksy Museum

With this, the creators of the museum also ran into the challenge of presenting an exhibition that was as unconventional and transgressive as the art within. “If we only trapped Banksy’s work in gilt frames on a wall, this would antithesize all that Banksy’s art represents,” shares Vardar. “So we set out to recreate the artworks in a life-size, re-imagined space that reflects the street experience. We employed a team of anonymous street artists, like Banksy, to recreate the work. The outcome was truly a magnificent reflection of Banksy’s energy, defiance, and raw talent.”

Undoubtedly one of the world’s most celebrated guerrilla street artist, Banksy has fostered an elusive and alluring identity that defies tradition. Using little more than spray paint and stencils, the artist’s pieces typically present striking, satirical work that delves into political and socio-critical discourse often characterized by bold images and slogans. 

Photo Credit: Courtesy of The Banksy MuseumThe New York Banksy Museum marks its American debut following acclaimed exhibitions in Paris, Barcelona, Krakow, and Brussels. This new showcase features over 160 recreations, constituting the largest single display of Banksy’s work ever assembled.