Located in a coastal town called Dover in the UK, a big Banksy mural that was made as a critical commentary towards "Brexit" has now crumbled together with the building it was painted on, following a demolition project.
The artwork first appeared on the three-story structure back in 2017, the year that Britain was controversially voted out of the European Union. It depicts a worker atop a standing ladder chipping away at one of the stars on the EU flag. At the time, it was valued at over $1.2 Million by the Banksy collector John Brandler.
The mural had already disappeared beforehand after it got mysteriously "whitewashed" back in 2019, however, some of its elements were promptly restored afterward. Now, in spite of the restorative efforts employed for the Banksy piece, the building it was on has been demolished as part of a city-initiated project.
Why was the Dover Building with the Banksy Mural Demolished?
This Dover City initiative is dubbed "The Bench," wherein a set of new cultural and community engagement facilities will be built alongside a residential area.
A spokesperson for the Dover City Council, or the DDC, told CNN that prior to giving the "green signal" for the demolition, and after requesting "professional conservation advice," the DDC ascertained that it would not be realistically viable for the Banksy piece to be conserved without costing taxpayers "considerably," with estimations ranging from $2.5 Million to $5 Million.
The city council then posted a detailed explanation of the overall project on its website, clarifying that it had not been a part of the previous attempt to cover up or paint over the Banksy mural. In addition, the council spokesman also said that the contractor for the project, DDS Demolition, has been actively "attempting to see if the Banksy artwork can be conserved in any way."
That said, there is "no certainty" of conservation according to the spokesman, mainly because "the artwork was painted over and the poor state of the render." He also added that the contractors were successful in wholly detaching parts with the "stars" on them, as well as the "section of the man and ladder."
Additionally, because the demolition company is footing the additional costs when it comes to the conservation efforts, the artwork would now be its property.
Not the First Time a Banksy Artwork has Vanished
With Banksy's work essentially being "graffiti art," it is subjected to the elements and external forces. In fact, earlier this November, one of his pieces located in Venice called the "Migrant Child" has also been the subject of controversial restorative efforts as it is being threatened to disappear due to deterioration.
On the other hand, a Banksy piece called "Spy Booth" was completely destroyed back in 2016. The famous piece depicted three secret agents around a phone booth, "listening in" with covert recording gadgets.
In 2018, the artist himself destroyed one of his pieces in a now "legendary" art world moment, after it was confirmed to sell at an auction for over $1.4 Million. The artwork depicted a stenciled painting of a girl holding a red balloon, which was only partly shredded despite Banksy's original plan due to a faulty shredder installed on the framing.
