A fourth Banksy artwork, unveiled in London today, appears to have been stolen. The elusive street artist, based in Bristol, shared an image on Instagram on Thursday depicting the silhouette of a wolf howling at the moon, painted on a satellite dish in Rye Lane, Peckham, south London.
Banksy’s press team confirmed that they “believed” the artwork had been stolen. The Metropolitan Police stated that they were alerted to the theft of the satellite dish featuring the artwork. Still, they reported that no arrests had been made concerning the incident. This marks yet another instance of Banksy’s targeted works raising concerns over the security and preservation of street art.
In February, two men were bailed in connection with removing a South London street sign featuring artwork by Banksy. The piece, which depicted a red stop sign adorned with three military drones, was unveiled on Commercial Way in Peckham on December 22nd. However, within an hour of its appearance, the sign was removed in an incident that the Metropolitan Police swiftly treated as theft.
In a recent update, the Met stated that officers continue tracking the stolen artwork. A gallery owner told Artlyst that the piece could be worth up to £500,000 on the open market; however, without authentication from Pest Control, Banksy’s stolen work is worthless. The sign garnered widespread attention after Banksy confirmed its authenticity by posting a photo on his official Instagram account. Following the artist’s confirmation on social media, Banksy’s followers interpreted the artwork as a call for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
One of the first high-profile thefts of Banksy’s work was “sperm alarm,” which was stolen in 2007. The piece, which depicted sperm swimming towards an alarm bell, was located on a side wall in London. It was one of Banksy’s satirical works, likely intended to provoke thought on issues related to fertility, reproduction, or sexual health.
The artwork was created using Banksy’s signature stencil technique, which allowed for the rapid production of pieces in public spaces. The piece was carefully extracted from the wall where it was painted, marking one of the early instances where Banksy’s art was physically removed and stolen.
The incident highlighted the growing trend of Banksy thefts, in which his work—often intended to be temporary and accessible to the public—was increasingly being commodified and removed from its original context for sale on the black market or at auctions. The theft of the Sperm Alarm drew attention to the difficulties in preserving street art and the ethical dilemmas surrounding the ownership and commercialisation of works meant for public spaces.
A Brief History of Other Banksy Thefts
Banksy, the elusive and world-renowned street artist, has captured global attention with his politically charged and thought-provoking artworks. However, the high demand for his works has also led to numerous thefts, with pieces disappearing from walls, often in the dead of night. Here’s a peek at some notable Banksy theft incidents.
1. 2007: “Space” Girl and Bird “One of” the earliest thefts involved BanksyBanksy’s Girl and Bird, a piece painted on the side of a building in London. The artwork was stolen and later sold at auction for £288,000. This incident set a precedent for the lucrative nature of BanksyBanksy’s, even when stolen.
2. 2013: “No Ball Games” In 2013, originally painted on a North London wall, it was cut out and stolen. The artwork, depicting two children playing, was later recovered and sold for a significant sum. The theft highlighted the growing trend of organised efforts to extract and sell Banksy’s pieces.
3. 2018: Paris Murals In 2018, a series of Banksy murals appeared in Paris, including one near the Bataclan Concert Hall, commemorating the victims of the 2015 terrorist attacks. Within months, thieves stole this mural by cutting the door it was painted on. Despite public outcry and efforts to locate it, the piece was lost, reflecting the challenge of preserving street art in public spaces.
4. 2019: “The Dinker”, a sculpture by Banksy in 2004 resembling Auguste Rodin’ The Thinker, was stolen from central London in 2019. The sculpture was later recovered, but not before it was defaced by the group that claimed responsibility for its theft, known as AK47. The incident underscored some of Banksy’s thefts’ performative and provocative nature, blurring the lines between vandalism and art.
5. 2019: “Theft” at the Hotel Bristol” In 2019, thieves stole a Banksy artwork from the Hotel Bristol in Paris. The piece, depicting a rat with a knife, was one of several rat-themed artworks the artist created in the city. Despite surveillance footage capturing the theft, the artwork remains missing, illustrating the difficulty in recovering stolen street art.
6. 2020: “Valentine’s Day” mural in Bristol in 2020 was targeted shortly after its creation. The mural depicted a young girl firing a slingshot with flowers, and within days of its appearance, vandals attempted to deface and steal it. Although the artwork remained intact, the incident highlighted the ongoing threat to BanksyBanksy’sc works.
7. 2021: “Medit” Iranian Sea View 2017 “A series of three paintings titled Mediterranean Sea View 2017, depicting lifebuoys and life jackets washed up on a shoreline, were stolen from a display in the Walled Off Hotel in Palestine. The paintings were intended to draw attention to the migrant crisis. The theft of these works, which have yet to be recovered, sparked international condemnation.
Banksy artworks are often situated in public spaces, facing constant theft threats and vandalism. Despite the efforts of local communities and authorities to protect his art, the demand and value of Banksy’s artworks make them prime targets for thieves. Each theft deprives the public of viewing these pieces and raises complex questions about the ownership and commercialisation of street art.