 Jan 19 2024 - Oct 6 2024

 Ljubljana

An exhibition of works by world-renown street artist Banksy is on display at a pop up gallery in Ljubljana's Čopova Street. Mounted by curator David Rjazancev, head of the Deva Puri Gallery, the exhibition also features works by artists who have inspired Banksy.

The exhibition showcases the diversity of Banksy's world, from his original prints to album covers for various musicians, posters from his previous exhibitions and his cooperation with The Simpsons project.

More than 100 works by Banksy and artists who have influenced his work such as Picasso, Warhol and Blek le Rat are on display.

"There are three ways to set up a Banksy exhibition: in cooperation with the artist, which only big cities such as Los Angeles can afford, by simply downloading his works from the web and printing them out, which I don't think is right, and the third way, which we have picked - to obtain his works from galleries and private collections. You check their authenticity and present Banksy's story to the public that way," the curator said.

Rjazancev worked for ten years to set up such an exhibition in Slovenia. Most Banksy collectors are in the UK, but after Brexit lending artwork has become even more complicated, so most of the exhibits are from the continental Europe.

"I think we've managed to obtain a lovely collection. I think it's important to emphasise that you are seeing the real thing in this exhibition. What is on display is the works that Banksy has released to go out to the people, so you won't see any of the graffiti walls that billionaires ripped off the street and now have in their palaces," Rjazancev was quoted as saying by the newspaper Dnevnik.