Flemish author Marc Pairon set out to investigate and now uncovers the secrets of Banksy’s much-coveted Walled Off art editions. Between 2017 and 2020, Banksy had a number of remarkable objets d’art issued in Palestine, aimed at drawing attention to the awkward living conditions of the Palestinian people. Until now, nobody knew how many different editions of these hand-painted multiples had been produced.
Photo – banksysoldout.com ©
The Banksy phenomenon needs no further introduction. All over the world, he is currently the visual artist who gets the most attention in the press and is on everybody’s lips. His possible life story has already received extensive literary coverage, while most of his graffiti has been published many times.
In 2017, Banksy opened his The Walled Off Hotel in Bethlehem, a living art installation with which he brings the Palestinian oppression up for discussion. After all, as a Social Artist, he always sympathizes with the fate of mankind and acts – in all conscience and good faith – accordingly. Between 2017 and 2020, Banksy issued limited editions of miniature multiples of the dividing wall in Palestine, which were only available to guests staying at The Walled Off Hotel. Indeed, deliberately creating scarcity is one of Banksy’s trademarks. The various shapes of the ‘souvenirs’ executed in polymer resin were created by Banksy himself, while he also supervised the graffiti decorations carried out by Palestinian artists. These decorations copy the graffiti that can be found on the Israeli barrier on the West Bank and include a number of iconic images by the grandmaster himself.
Until now, little to nothing is known about the diversity of the Walled Off art editions and the quantities that were issued. Such secrecy is simply part of the Banksy myth, which is carefully cultivated by its guardians. Nevertheless, Flemish author and art expert Marc Pairon (°1959, known from his worldwide bestseller ART DECO CERAMICS – Made in Belgium and other publications) has managed to map out this exceptional series of multiples. He began his research in Palestine and made an inventory of numerous international collections and archives, which resulted in the uncovering of the secrets behind this series of rare and now much-coveted collectables. This yielded an exceptionally fascinating and useful reference work, containing around 200 unique photographs and extensive background information about this historic artistic legacy.
