Graffiti artist Banksy has been delighting weegies with a surprise exhibition for 10 weeks, attracting a whopping 180,000 visitors. The exhibition ‘Cut & Run: 25 Years Card Labour’ was held at Glasgow’s Gallery of Modern Art from June 15 until August 28, giving ample time for everyone to witness the stencils that were used to create the famous street art.
The collection ‘Cut & Run: 25 Years Card Labour’ features the stencils that were previously tucked away to avoid charges while keeping Banksy’s identity safe. Visitors witnessed famous works such as Kissing Coppers, which first appeared at the Prince Albert pub in Brighton in 2004, and Mobile Lovers, from Bristol in 2014 of a couple hugging while gazing at their screens.
The exhibition is over today (August 28), and Banksy is looking for where to bring the collection to next. As such, the artist is asking the public for any suggestions they may have. On the Cut & Run website, Banksy says: ” Thanks Glasgow, it’s been a blast. We want to take this show on the road but have no idea where to go next. Do you?”
“Mail us with your suggestions and include a few pics if possible. A specific location or venue would be ideal, please don’t just write ‘Come to Iran!’” So, don’t send over generic suggestions, but think of specific spots where you think the exhibition will thrive.
GoMA manager Gareth James said: “Cut and Run has welcomed a new and diverse audience, from primary school pupils to octogenarians, from all areas of society and corners of the globe. Every day we open our doors to queues of hundreds of people waiting for walk-up tickets. Free community tickets and overnight opening hours have extended the museum’s reach far beyond our usual scope.”
What is more, there is a reason why Banksy picked Glasgow’s Gallery of Modern Art as its very first venue for the exhibition. In the welcome sign to the showcase, Banksy said he took the collection to GOMA because his “favourite work of art in the UK” is just outside.
Banksy writes: “For anyone who isn’t aware – the statue out the front has had a cone on its head continuously for the past 40 odd years. Despite the best efforts of the council and the police, every time one is removed another takes its place.”