Banksy revealed abandoned plans for a makeover of his Brexit mural.
The Brexit-themed Banksy mural in Dover before it was painted over. Photo by Ian Clark, via Flickr.
A Brexit-inspired Banksy mural in the English town of Dover was recently painted over, dashing the artist’s plans for a poignant revision, as the famous street artist revealed Thursday on Instagram. The mural originally depicted the flag of the European Union and featured a man on a ladder chiselling away at one of its stars, sending cracks throughout the entire flag.
In his Instagram post, Banksy showed a computer-generated image of what his plans for the mural had been. The artist intended to update the mural on the day Britain leaves the European Union (October 31st, if the current schedule holds) by changing it to depict the man still standing on the ladder and chiseling at the single star while the rest of the flag lay shattered on the ground.
According to KentOnline, the flag mural had become a popular Dover tourist attraction and was valued at upwards of £1 million ($1.2 million). Dover's MP Charlie Elphicke said in a tweet that “the Dover Banksy was an iconic piece of art. Now it is gone in an act of cultural vandalism. Historic England failed to protect it and should hang their heads in shame.” Banksy, for his part, concluded his Instagram post: “I guess a big white flag says it just as well.”
