Where can I see a Banksy in Barcelona?
Controversial for his satirical pieces that hold a mirror to society in a way that you can’t help but feel that he’s teasing or mocking us, arguably that’s where his appeal comes from, something like the court jester. The writer of this article would say that Banksy is the Picasso of this age, a household name, loved and hated by the art community and non-arty folk alike. As Banksy (allegedly) remains anonymous, it could be a he, could be a she, or could be a collective, from here on we will use the term ‘them’. In this article, we are going to explain where you can see a Banksy in Barcelona.
1. Is there a Banksy piece in Barcelona?
2. Banksy Museum Barcelona
3. MOCO Museum
4. Street Art Tour Barcelona
5. Street Cyber
6. PrimoBanksy
Is there a Banksy piece in Barcelona?
So off the mark, starting with the blank canvas, all paints out on the table- there are no original Banksys in Barcelona. Many years ago the artist left a stencil with his name on some stairs, and realistically we don’t even know if it was them. Since then nothing has graced the Streets of the city by the artist known as Banksy.
So that leaves two options to see a Banksy in Barcelona. One is the controversial Banksy Museum, and the other is the less controversial (but still a little bit) MOCO museum.
Starting with the Banksy Museum- what makes this controversial? The simple fact is that the museum has no endorsement nor partnership with Banksy. There is a TripAdvisor review that summarises the idea – ”Imagine you printed copies of all of the best pieces from the Prado Museum, and opened up your neighbourhood museum charging people to come and see the collection of prints, that is the Banksy Museum.” Where that might sound a bit harsh, the reality is just that. They have made replicas of the famous Banksy pieces and put them in a museum for you to come and see. Does that make it a bad idea to visit? Not really. You can still go and see a collection of his stuff and it’s fun, but it’s about as deep as a layer of spray paint on a wall. Not recommended for true art enthusiasts or graffiti purists.
BUT they do support the local graffiti community, and in so doing earn many points. They organise shows where they invite local artists to paint live, and also organise markets where local artists themselves can come and display their work. And using the voice that they have created to push these events is a huge plus in their name.
Final verdict, fun museum, cool to see, not legitimately related to Banksy.
The MOCO museum is the new cool kid on the block, showing pieces by famous contemporary artists like KAWS, Keith Haring and of course, Banksy. The catch? Also not connected legitimately to Banksy. Whereas one can see ‘original’ prints of his work, they are not endorsed nor sponsored by the artist. So armed with that knowledge, one can enter and admire, and have a fun time at the MOCO Museum and see Banksy works, just nothing done by the (man/woman/people) themselves. This shouldn’t discourage you from checking out that Museum- it is cool, fun, Instagrammable, hip, lit and whatever else the kids are saying these days. It doesn’t take itself too seriously.
If you’re interested in Banksy and Street Art then you would definitely be interested in joining one of Artspace Tours Art experiences. Get behind the scenes of the art, gaining access to studios that would otherwise be closed to the public, and putting the soul and story behind the face. Check out our website to find out more.
Two active street artists worth mentioning with a Banksy aesthetic, are STREET CYBER and PRIMOBANKSY.
Street Cyber are a collective using Banksy images to spread knowledge and information about cryptocurrency and Bitcoin. They believe that crypto currency holds the answers to many problems related to economics around the world and would like to educate the masses with their art. They use Banksy pieces and remix them with their own words and slogans. The reason why they have chosen Banksy is because they realise that the artists work is instantly recognisable and that people already often like it, so they are using his fame to garner their audience. We at Artspace think thats cool like Samula l Jackson because one of the ethos of the graffiti movement is the communication directly with the public, these guys are using this to spread what they believe to be a positive and educational message.
is more satirical and ironic. In Spanish primo is cousin, so Primobanksy means Banksy’s cousin. This artist does satirical commentary on society in a Banksy-esque manner. Often choosing Spanish pop art as a theme. Important to mention of Primo, is that like Banksy, he remains anonymous. According to an article about (them) (they) replied that graffiti has to be illegal, otherwise it’s not graffiti. Another artist following the ethos of the graffiti movement.
So between his cousin, his fans who are crypto bros, and a handful of museums that promote his ”work”, this is where you can see a Banksy in Barcelona.