Latest news with #artcommunity
Arab News
9 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Arab News
In Marseille, a shadow becomes art in Banksy's latest street mural
MARSEILLE, France: The lighthouse appeared overnight. Painted on a wall tucked away in a quiet Marseille street, its beam aligned perfectly with the real-life shadow of a metal post on the pavement. At its center, stenciled in crisp white, are the words: 'I want to be what you saw in me.' Banksy had struck again. On Friday, the elusive British street artist confirmed the work by posting two images on his official Instagram account — without caption or coordinates. Fans quickly identified the location as 1 Rue Félix Frégier, in the Catalans district of Marseille's 7th arrondissement, near the sea. Since then, crowds have gathered at the site. Tourists snap photos. Children point. Locals who usually walk past the building stop to take a closer look. There is no official explanation for the phrase. But its emotional pull is unmistakable — a quiet plea for recognition, love or redemption. Some speculate it references a country ballad by Lonestar. Others call it a love letter. Or a lament. Or both. The image is deceptively simple: a lone lighthouse, dark and weathered, casting a stark white beam. But what gives it power is the way it plays with light — the real and the painted, the seen and the imagined. The post in front of the wall becomes part of the piece. Reality becomes the frame. Marseille's mayor, Benoît Payan, was quick to react online. 'Marseille x Banksy,' he wrote, adding a flame emoji. By midday, the hashtag #BanksyMarseille was trending across France, and beyond. Though often political, Banksy's art is just as often personal, exploring themes of loss, longing and identity. In recent years, his works have appeared on war-ravaged buildings in Ukraine, in support of migrants crossing the Mediterranean and on walls condemning capitalism, Brexit, and police brutality. The artist, who has never confirmed his full identity, began his career spray-painting buildings in Bristol, England, and has become one of the world's best-known artists. His mischievous and often satirical images include two male police officers kissing, armed riot police with yellow smiley faces and a chimpanzee with a sign bearing the words, 'Laugh now, but one day I'll be in charge.' His work has sold for millions of dollars at auction, and past murals on outdoor sites have often been stolen or removed by building owners soon after going up. In December 2023, after Banksy stenciled military drones on a stop sign in south London, a man was photographed taking down the sign with bolt cutters. Police later arrested two men on suspicion of theft and criminal damage. In March 2024, an environmentally themed work on a wall beside a tree in north London was splashed with paint, covered with plastic sheeting and fenced off within days of being created. Despite the fame — or infamy — at least in Marseille, not everyone walking past noticed it. Some didn't even know who Banksy was, according to the local press. On Instagram observers say this Marseille piece feels quieter. More interior. And yet, it is no less global. The work arrives just ahead of a major Banksy retrospective opening June 14 at the Museum of Art in nearby Toulon featuring 80 works, including rare originals. Another exhibit opens Saturday in Montpellier. But the Marseille mural wasn't meant for a museum. It lives in the street, exposed to weather, footsteps and time. As of Friday evening, no barriers had been erected. No glass shield installed. Just a shadow, a beam and a message that's already circling the world.
BBC News
a day ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
New Banksy revealed - but location remains a mystery
Banksy's latest piece of grafitti art has been revealed to the world - but where it was painted remains a mystery for posted on the elusive artist's Instagram depict a lighthouse stencilled on a drab, beige wall, along with the words: "I want to be what you saw in me". A false shadow appears to have been drawn on the pavement from a nearby bollard, giving the illusion that the lighthouse is itself a silhouette of the mundane street unlike a lighthouse, the post gives little away as to the artwork's location. A second, wider shot showing two people walking their dogs offers little on social media have speculated that the street art may lurk in Marseille, in the south of France, while others debate how to interpret the work's meaning. Another image of the art circulating online shows a blurred person riding a scooter in front of the piece, with a graffiti tag seemingly reading "Yaze" further along the tag matches that used by a Canadian graffiti artist Marco The Polo, whose Instagram account features photos of his own work but who has called Banksy an has kept his true identity a secret throughout his career, and it is only through the Instagram account that works are identified as genuine. Often imbuing his works with a political message, his previous pieces have alluded to immigration, the war in Ukraine and homelessness, among other meaning of some of his works, though, is less clear - such as his motivation behind the series of animals painted in various locations across London last to the lighthouse, in December, Banksy posted another piece, depicting a Madonna and child with a fixture in the wall appearing like a bullet wound in her chest.
The Sun
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Obscene' statue sparks outrage in US city once deemed a woke enclave as 45ft naked woman towers over major public plaza
A MASSIVE naked woman statue has triggered fury after being plonked in a busy city plaza without public input. The 45-foot-tall, 32,000-pound sculpture shows a woman with her arms standing fully nude in one of San Francisco's most iconic spots. 3 3 Locals were blindsided when it appeared at Embarcadero Plaza earlier in April. The display was allowed to skip public comment because it's privately funded, and it hasn't gone down well with everyone. 'Somebody put up a 45' naked lady statue in San Francisco, nobody asked for it,' one X user wrote. "I'd rather have another $1.7 million public restroom. Y'Know, something more practical," added another. 'Now you have to walk between her legs to get from the Ferry Building to the Embarcadero.' "This is going to block the iconic view of the Ferry Bldg. from Market St.?" someone asked. The towering figure is titled R-Evolution and was first unveiled at Burning Man in 2015. It was meant to go to New York's Union Square but was deemed too heavy for the site. As of April 2025, the sculpture is hovering over Market Street just steps away from the bay, and is expected to stay through October. Putin's mad push to revive Soviet Union with Stalin statues & Red Army cosplay - as aide insists USSR 'NEVER broke up' For one hour each day, between 5 and 6 pm, her chest slowly rises and falls due to built-in electronics. 'Who funded this dumb ass s**t?' one furious commenter asked as photos of the statue spread online. Many argue it sends a grotesque message in a city battling gentrification and displacement, Court House News reported. Local street artists were temporarily booted to make room for it. The hope is that R-Evolution will "activate the space" and create an environment that encourages foot traffic from locals and tourists alike, according to the Recreation and Parks Department. 'Public art is a vital part of San Francisco's cultural identity, embodying the city's diverse and creative spirit,' Director of Cultural Affairs Ralph Remington said in a press release. He said the installation is meant to reflect the city's spirit of "bringing people together, activating public space, and reinforcing the power of art to spark conversation, inspire connection, and revitalize our shared urban landscape.' Though pitched as a symbol of female empowerment, some have pointed out the piece wasn't even created by a woman. The artist behind R-Evolution, 63-year-old Marco Cochrane, says it's about shifting perspectives on gender and power. THE ARTIST'S STATEMENT 'My mother was a feminist,' Cochrane wrote of the sculpture on his website. 'She handed off the torch to me about bringing feminine energy into the world.' The wire sculpture is based on model Deja Solis and aims to show her "just breathing." But to some, it's simply an eyesore in the middle of a city facing big challenges. San Francisco is still struggling with empty office buildings and falling foot traffic in a post-pandemic world. More than a third of office space sits vacant, according to researchers. R-Evolution was brought in by the San Francisco Arts Association as part of a $300,000 effort to lure people downtown. The project is backed by the Sijbrandij Foundation and produced by Building 180, a female-led art organization. 3
CTV News
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CTV News
Charlottetown launches a new public art project
Atlantic Watch The city of Charlottetown is bringing vibrant creativity to key intersections across the municipality
CBC
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
The art and the artist: Chip Wilson's new Kitsilano sign
People's reactions to the Vancouver billionaire's latest public art offering are another example of the city's complicated relationship with the Lululemon founder. Justin McElroy reports.
