Happening Now: 🖼️ The Art of Banksy EX Opening in Toronto 2024

Tuesday, 04 June 2024 06:52.PM
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- The Art of Banksy, featuring more than 160 pieces from the anonymous Bristol-based artist, opens today at Lighthouse Artspace, 1 Yonge Street Toronto -

The major exhibition which has brought Banksy's era of defining works to over 1.5 million visitors in 15 cities across the globe returns to Toronto. Opening today, The Art of Banksy exhibit now features twice the number of artworks than were featured in its 2018 Toronto premiere. With a total value of $35 million, The Art of Banksy will showcase more than 160 pieces on display for first time in Toronto, including stencils used in wall graffiti alongside previously unseen artworks, prints, canvases and fascinating ephemera. Four colour versions, including a rare gold version, of Girl With Balloon and a global exclusive of the first ever Flower Thrower are among the most iconic artworks on view during the limited Toronto run of The Art of Banksy. Notably, the exhibition will also feature the North American debut of Banksy's 2022 version of the Mona Lisa. This previously unknown work was purchased directly from the artist in 2003 by an unnamed Hollywood A-lister. In 2022, it was returned to Banksy who, true to form, transformed it into an entirely new piece. The Art of Banksy opens today in Toronto at the Lighthouse Artspace Toronto, 1 Yonge Street.

Presented by live entertainment company, Starvox Exhibits, in collaboration with London-based GTP Exhibitions The Art of Banksy is coming direct from a successful run in Soho, London. Starvox Exhibits first presented The Art of Banksy to Canadian audiences in 2018 with a virtually sold-out presentation that went on to successful tours in Chicago, Boston, Washington, Denver, and San Francisco.

Starvox Exhibits CEO Corey Ross, the visionary force behind the acclaimed, groundbreaking immersive experiences like "Immersive Van Gogh" and "Immersive Disney Animation" says, "Banksy is one of the most exciting artists of our generation and many of his most influential pieces are hidden away in private homes, collections and even warehouses. It's a rare opportunity to see Banksy's most iconic images in person and we've seen people around the world coming out in record numbers to this exclusive collection".

Additionally, visitors to The Art of Banksy can expect to learn more about Banksy's international public art installations, including Dismaland, Walled Off Hotel and brand-new images addressing the ongoing war in Ukraine. The collection also boasts a rare selection of personal artworks and truly one-off pieces including stencils created and used by the artist, as well as personal works that Banksy created for friends, associates, and lovers.

New for Toronto and for the first time in North America, Banksy's printer, who along with Banksy set up Pictures on Walls to sell street art and publish prints, shares personal stories giving unique insight into some of the world's most famous images, engrossing background on how those headline-grabbing street art stunts were devised and how, with their irreverent wit and a biting political edge, this visionary took the art world by storm without ever revealing his identity.

"An artist made by the people, for the people, and perhaps one of the most powerful artists of a generation – this is a one-of-a-kind exhibition that celebrates the work of an artist often ignored by the arts establishment," says The Art of Banksy curator and producer, Michael Boersma. "It is a real chance to see the best and the brightest of one of the UK's best-loved artists."

The self-styled prankster and anti-establishment figure who has consistently managed to remain anonymous, is one of the most talked-about artists of our day. Since the 1990s, Banksy has been known to create subversive and satirical street art and other daring projects that explore social and political issues. In its new home in the Lighthouse Artspace at 1 Yonge Street, The Art of Banksy is an unmissable show for anyone who wants to learn more about one of the world's most important current artists and what his work reveals today; the power of art to affect social change, inspire the public and lay bare the undercurrents of social issues.

The Art of Banksy is not curated or authorized by the artist.

The Art of Banksy is curated by Michel Boersma and produced by GTP Exhibitions Ltd. The Toronto season is presented by Starvox Exhibits.

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