Banksy Unleashes Animals on London: What Do They Mean?

LONDON (Reuters) – A goat, two elephants, three monkeys, and one wolf. Four Banksy murals have appeared in London this week, leaving many pondering the meaning behind the elusive street artist’s latest creations.

It started with the appearance of a mountain goat on Monday. The artwork, depicted in Banksy’s signature stencil style, showed a goat perched on a ledge with rocks falling off. This piece was spotted on a wall in Richmond, west London.

Next, two elephants’ heads emerged, peering out of two blocked windows on a house in affluent Chelsea. This was followed by three monkeys seemingly hanging from a railway bridge near east London’s Brick Lane.

On Thursday, the silhouette of a wolf appeared, howling at the sky atop a heavily graffitied building in Peckham, southeast London. Banksy has shared pictures of each piece on his Instagram account.

However, the satellite dish featuring the wolf was reported stolen within hours of its unveiling, as confirmed by London’s Metropolitan Police. Local media captured images of a masked individual removing it.

Social media has been abuzz with theories about the underlying messages of these artworks. Given Banksy’s history of addressing themes like war and climate change, interpretations have varied widely.

Some speculate that the murals may be linked to the recent riots and racist attacks across the country. Others suggest the artworks symbolize humanity’s path to self-destruction. One Instagram user, “barrybrexiter,” commented, “Nice one Banksy. I see this as a critique on the wild and chaotic behaviour currently erupting across the UK. Far-right thugs on the prowl.”

Another user, “leticia_vega,” wrote, “Humanity is not going to last … animals will be taking over.”

Banksy last painted a mural in London depicting green paint sprayed across the side of a building to mimic the foliage of a real, heavily pruned tree standing a few meters in front of it. Many interpreted this work as emphasizing the need to preserve nature.

In December, Banksy created an image featuring three drones on a stop sign in Peckham. That piece was also stolen shortly after it appeared.

Source: Reuters