Banksy Sails Into Venice Biennale Event

He broke the news of his surprise appearance on his Instagram page, posting a video showing himself wearing his signature incognito getup, setting up his unofficial stall at the Venice festival.

Accompanying the video is an explanation in the artist’s own words, stating; “Setting up my stall at the Venice Biennale. Despite being the largest and most prestigious art event in the world, for some reason I’ve never been invited.”

Perhaps his bold message can clue us in on why the absence of an invitation. The video shared to Banksy’s account shows him hanging small oil paintings one by one. Once arranged, we see the overall image of a cruise ship flanked by smaller boats in a shining seaport. The setting is Venice. In the background upbeat Italian music plays accompanied by commentary of Italian police telling Banksy him and his art must leave the Biennale. I guess that’s what happens when you show up uninvited…(Hey, it happens to the best of us).

The title of the artwork is prolific in itself, seeing as the paintings are done in oil and center on the concept of Venice being surrounded by oil, due to the pollution of the ocean and city by cruise ships.

The end of his video concludes with a monstrous cruise ship dwarfing several smaller boats in a Venice port, mirroring almost exactly the painting Banksy displayed at his unofficial stall.