The elusive street artist has installed a statue of a man blinded by his own flag in central London, sparking curiosity, debate and crowds within hours.
A statue appears overnight on Pall Mall
Photos : London/KBSP/DR
Banksy has struck again. Early Wednesday morning, the British street artist secretly installed a new sculpture on Pall Mall, one of London’s most symbolic avenues, closely tied to the monarchy, the military and the British establishment. The work depicts a man striding forward, his face entirely covered by the flag he proudly holds, a sharp metaphor placed just minutes from Buckingham Palace. According to a spokesperson, Banksy simply noted that “there was a small empty space,” before occupying it with his latest intervention. His name, handwritten on the base, confirms the authorship, later reinforced by a post on his Instagram account.
A bold placement that draws crowds
By thursday afternoon, more than a hundred onlookers had gathered around the statue. Reactions ranged from admiration to bewilderment. One passerby summed up the general astonishment: “What a madman, installing this in the heart of London, the most surveilled city in the world. How did he pull this off so close to Buckingham?” The piece now stands among statues of King Edward VII, Florence Nightingale, and the Crimean War memorial, creating a striking contrast between official history and Banksy’s subversive commentary.
Photos : London/KBSP/DR
Banksy, still the master of Ttming
Known worldwide for his stencilled murals, Banksy continues to generate massive public and media attention with each new work. Art observers on site compared his cultural impact to that of a “Leonardo da Vinci of street art,” praising his ability to appear “at the right place, at the right moment” with accessible yet pointed messages. This is not his first sculptural intervention in London. In 2004, he unveiled “The Drinker”, a parody of Rodin’s Thinker, which was later stolen and became the subject of a long legal dispute.
Photos : London/KBSP/DR
