Hardly any name is currently electrifying the international art scene as much as Banksy. The British graffiti sprayer is considered a master of street art, his works bring in auctions six-figure sums. Even if the artist lives in secret and does not show himself to the public, he is world famous. This awakens desires.
A greeting card company wants to secure the trademark rights to its name, as Banksy writes on Instagram. Banksy quotes Banksy as saying, "The company is trying to protect my name so that they can legally sell their counterfeit Banksy products, and I believe they are insisting that I will not appear in court to defend myself . "
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Banksy's shop in London: the artist and the capitalTo fight back, Banksy has now taken a surprise move that thrills fans around the world: Banksy has now set up its own shop in the southern London borough of Croydon. The shop bears the name Gross Domestic Product (gross domestic product). He was recommended to offer a range of merchandise, as this is the best way to protect his name, Banksy said, according to the BBC.
Artistic rights defended
"I open a shop today (even if the doors are not really opening)," Bansky wrote on Instagram. In the social network, he published a statement stating that all products in the store are only available online. The proceeds will flow into the purchase of a new lifeboat for migrants.
In the store on Church Street, the artist shows many of his famous works. A rug depicting the "Tony the Tiger" cereal is also on display, as is a pierced Union Jack vest worn by British rapper Stormzy this summer at the Glastonbury Festival. There are also mats made of life-jackets found on the beaches of the Mediterranean, and disco balls made of helmets from the riot police.
Check out this post on Instagram
, This showroom is for display purposes only. I'm opening a shop today (although the doors do not actually open). It's in Croydon. Probably best viewed at night.
A post shared by Banksy (@banksy) on Oct 1, 2019 at 7:00 PDT
According to the BBC, Banksy said he has not changed his position on copyright, even though he is trying to defend his artistic rights in this particular case. "I continue to encourage everyone to copy, borrow, steal, and change my art - for fun, academic research, or action - but I just do not want them [the greeting card company] to get the exclusive right to my name."
Banksy's secretly decorated house walls attract global attention, and the boards and canvases he works on are among the market's most sought after trophies. After three auctions with Banksy works took place in just two weeks in mid-September, the next auction at the British auction house Sotheby's is already announced for tomorrow's Thursday. This time, the work "Devolved Parliament" (about: Delegated Parliament) offered. It shows the British lower house full of chimpanzees - a few weeks before the official Brexit appointment on 31 October a special picture.