Register
Wishlist
Contact Us
Banksy: Open the "Gross Domestic Product" in London". Has born the Pop-Up Store of homewares of the Street Artist, which will stay open for two weeks.
Banksy in London strikes again!
On October 1st 2019, the Bristish artist and writer astonishes again everyone with the opening of the Gross Domestic Product in the area of Croydon, a sort of showroom that will be open for two weeks.
It will be possible to buy the exhibted Works by Banksy on an on-line shop which will open in the next days, since the physical access to the store will be forbitten to the public.
But, what pushed the mysterious Banksy, famous for his aversion about the commercialization of his art, to make such a decision? Let's find out the reasons linked to the opening of the Gross Domestic Product of Banksy.
Gross Domestic Product: Banksy's Pop-Up Store in London
The Street Art artist Banksy hits the nail on the head again with the unexpected opening of the Temporary Shop "Gross Domestic Product", which, like all his works, suddently appears in the time span of a night.
The showroom takes the place of an abandoned tapestry shop in Croydon, a neighborhood in the south of London, where now, throught its five windows, can be viewed various Banksy Artworks.
The merchandise will be available, for viewing purposes only, for two weeks and, since it is not possible to phisically enter the shop, it will be sold only on the on-line shop that will be opened in the next days, as announced by a sign on the windows.
The price of the Banksy works for Sale will start from 10 £ with an established limit for the maximum bid.
The Street Artist will devolve the entire profit to an Ong led by Pia Klemp for the acquisition of a ship destined to the rescue of refugees, as replacement of the one cofiscated by the Italian government.
Someone wondered if this too was a provocative installation by Banksy, but, really, the reasons here are different.
The annoucement comes from Instagram, directly from the artist's page who explains the reason of this choice, that is the legal issue regarding the safeguard of his art.
Banksy: Why the Gross Domestic Product is opening?
The unusual decision of Banksy to open a homewares' store in London has immediatly intrigued the public.
It could seem like the Gross Domestic Product was another provocative idea of the artist, instead it seems like that, among the reasons that led him to this decision, there is a legal controversy.
In a statement on Instagram, Banksy explains that a production company of gadgets and merchandising wants to seize legal custody of his name so to sell its products legally, with the artist signature.
On this matter, there is a law for which, if a Brand is not used for commercial purpose for a certain period of time, it can be took over or exploited by other companies, and, as we all know, Banksy, does not usually sell his works.
In the opinion of the ITV news channel, the artist has decided to open Gross Domestic Product after consulting with the attorney Mark Stephens, one year after the greeting-card company has started a legal procedure against him.
Banksy therfore states that GDP is his official brand for homewares, and the one in London is the first and only shop open.
He says also that, even if the reason that has led him to this decision is not the most poetic, he had to exploit his brand to defend his art.
Banksy Works on Sale at the Gross Domestic Product
Banksy works exhibited to the public at the Gross Domestic Product are the most varied, including paintings and sculptures that follow his ideas, therefore focused on themes such as politics, ethic and cruelty to animals.
Many of these works have been realized specifically for the on-line shop. Moreover, the artist states that all of them are hand-made and produced in the UK, using already existing and, when possible, recycled materials, including the ideas.
Among the merchandise on view from the five windows of the Gross Domestic Product can be found bizarre objects as:
- Kellog's Tony the tiger revisited as living-room carpet
- Union Jack stab-proof vest, made for Stormzy to wear at the Glastonbury Festival
- a silkscreen reproduction of "The Flower Thrower"
- a newborn crib looked over by many surveillance cameras
- disco's stroboscopic lights made of riot-control helmets
- spray-cans partly used and signed
- hand-bags made of bricks
- life-jackets
- wooden dolls which offer their children to smugglers on "boxcars"
- the ferris wheel inspired by Basquiat outside the Barbican Center
- T-shirt
- Mugs
- a Crucifix
- Pillow with the writing "life is too short to take advices from a pillow"
- a gravestone with written on "you have now reached your destination"
However these are not the only works shown at the GDP. All of them caould be viewed for the next two weeks by the window of this sort of "Banksy Gallery", and then purchased on the on-line shop.
The theory about the detail inside the fireplace: a clue about Banksy identity?
Among the details that have not passed unnoticed to the most attentive fans of Street Art, and which has awoken a certain curiosity, is the sign that comes out from the fireplace of the living-room of theGross Domestic Product of Banksy.
That symbol is, as a matter of fact, used in 1991 by Massive Attack as cover of their debut album "Blue Lines".
For the umpteenth time, hypotesis about Banksy mysterious identity are being made, associating the Street Artist with the founder of the English band Robert del Naja.
Someone think about a clue left by the writer, while the more skepticals thinks it is just another joke by Banksy to create a little bit of that cahos that he enjoys so much.
One thing is for sure, this time too the most famous artist of Street Art Banksy, has succeded in surprising the public by creating a real art gallery within a night; and even though the Gross Domestic Product will be open only for two weeks, will last as unforgettable happening in the life of the artist.
