So he’s not Massive Attack? New questions to the Banksy exhibition in Moscow
Where the money is for and why the artist talking about the show right now.
The scandal with the exhibition of the works of Banksy, which takes place in Moscow without the knowledge of the author, does not subside. Organizers are kicking those that agreed with the collectors, the owners of the works. But there are other issues. To find the answers they tried the portal iz.ru.
August 15, British street artist, hiding under the pseudonym Banksy, has published in his instagram a screenshot of the correspondence.
From it he learns that in Moscow there is a big exhibition of his works. And if the people pay an entrance fee of £20. In fact, the entrance to the exhibition, which opened June 2, is not £20, and £7-8 (550-650 rubles) and the most expensive — with the tour will cost £16 (1.4 thousand rubles).
But this particular. The fact that “personal exhibition” by the artist, and it is approved on its official website, staged without the artist, has confused many.
Here positioning is vague and it served as the personal exhibition of the artist. This is a very cunning marketing ploy, designed for the layman. Sabine Casinonowadays creative enterprises support and development of street art “Artmosphere”
As noted in a conversation with RBC Director of the Museum of modern art “Garage” Anton Belov, the situation “unprecedented in contemporary exhibition practice: to make the exhibition of a living artist without his participation, requires excessive adventurism”.
“The exhibition in Central house of artists, brought together minor mass work of Banksy, unfair to the viewer — essentially, it another variation on the theme “living paintings”, the commercial shows, a parasite on the artist’s name,” said the Director of the Museum of modern art “Garage”.
The aim of the organizers of this show — making money at the expense of the quite expensive tickets. This story is extremely unpleasant and a disgrace to Moscow as one of the cultural capitals of the world. Anton Belov, Director of the Museum of modern art “Garage”
Pretty quickly, however, on the page of the exhibition in Facebook there was an official statement of the organizers, though not a “personal” exhibition of Banksy and his works in Russia.
We never identified this exhibition as organized or coherent with Banksy. Moreover, in all the interviews we just talked about that our exhibition can cause a negative reaction. What Banksy has drawn attention to our exhibition, indirectly confirms the importance of this event for him too.Alexander Nickeliferous and organizer of the exhibition of Banksy’s work in Russia
“Collection of works gathered from private collectors, who have the right to display the artist’s work at exhibitions. We are the solely authorized work (the authorship of which is confirmed. — iz.ru) — any pieces of walls, a vandal cut against the will of Banksy. All works have certificates of authenticity,” added Nachkebia.
Whose merch?
However, by the time the exhibition came new questions. In particular, the artist Pokras Lampas interested in using signature Banksy is the General partner of the exhibition. Her brand name is depicted along with signature signature of the artist.
As has told PR-the Director of the exhibition Elena Buchman portal iz.ru “in respect of street works by Banksy, one of which is his signature, among lawyers there is a rule. The fact that the rights to street image as there are none, and they belong to everyone. They are not assigned to a specific person. It is a legal nuance. So by and large these rights no.”
However, on the question of whether this means that the signature Banksy can be used by anyone, in the affirmative she could not answer. “But the fact that we (signed Banksy. — iz.ru) use, suggests that in our case within those objects that we produce, all quite legally and legitimately,” added Buchman.
Such arguments did not accept the Sabine Chagin, which has been supporting street art in Russia.
Yeah, outdoor work in principle belongs to no one, neither the artist nor the city. On the other hand, is the style of the artist. He can portray on the street, and can portray on canvas. In this case, the brands use the style, the image of the artist in their own marketing purposes.Sabina Chagina
She recalled that in March 2018 American street artist known as Revok, pleaded with the Swedish clothing brand H&M. the Reason was the use of this advertising campaign photos where the model poses on the background of Revok. When the artist, after two months of negotiations threatened the company with court, she filed a counterclaim, noting that he himself permission to create graffiti has not received, and therefore it is vandalism, which cannot be copyrighted. However, when street artists in support of Revok become “vandals” H&M stores in different countries, the company took a lawsuit and the artist apologized.
Caused a lot of issues and sale of souvenir production with symbolics and Banksy’s work in the exhibition. However, as stated by the portal iz.ru Elena Buchman, “all rights to production of merchandise cleaned and protected”. Agreed, the organizers with the same collectors who gave their work, not with the artist himself or his legal representatives.
The collectors who provide us with art, you have full rights package. Including the right to image and further use of this image. Accordingly, those prints that we use, putting on t-shirts, coordinate with collectors who have given us these works. They are already on their conditions, enter into a relationship with an organization that represents the interests Banksy, Banksy directly, and so on. It’s already legal issues that they take on.Elena Buchman PR-Director of the exhibition exhibition of works by Banksy in Russia
She stressed that those collectors who do not have full rights package to the exposed works, to participate in the exhibition could not.
“Stretched” the possibility of production of merch at this show called Sabina Chagina. However, she noted that there is nothing unusual in exhibitions from private collections, which are not notified artists. But, as a rule, each exhibition, a collector and a lot of artists, not one artist and 30 collectors.
“There are mass work. So you bought a print, which has a circulation of 15 copies. And that everyone who bought a print, all these 15 collectors have the right to issue Souvenirs? This is ridiculous. Print worth £10-15 thousand It is possible to buy a print for £15 million and have the right to issue mugs with a picture of Banksy? Sounds a bit of a stretch,” said the founder of the creative Association of support and development of street art “Artmosphere”.
But he added that until the details of the contracts and the provenance (history of ownership. — iz.ru) works is unknown, it is difficult to judge. “It’s just everything is recognizable, if it is really a lawsuit and an investigation will begin to understand. But it depends on the artist, he wants to do it or not,” said the founder of “Atmosphere”.
That no court is likely to not be, says the tone of the correspondence Banksy to the subscriber (“Not for me to complain about people who put pictures without permission”). The unclear legal status, which still have his work and signature. “This applies to t-shirts and Souvenirs — to understand whether there was a violation of the right author, it is necessary to examine the contract on transfer of rights in respect of his work. About the signature Banksy is a moot point, since his identity is unknown, he is credited and the work of others, and some of them are really created in violation of legal norms,” said iz.ru head of commercial practice of legal company BMS Law Firm Denis Frolov.
Why now?
Causing issues and what about the exhibition Banksy wrote just now. Some of the commenters under his post on instagram (and a day gained more than 6.5 thousand) this suggests that this is all a coordinated PR stunt to attract visitors. Although, according to its organizer Alexander Nachkebia, today the exhibition in Central house of artists and looked 252 thousand.
“At this rate we come to 300 thousand people, and it means that the Moscow exposition will be the most visited in the history of all of Banksy’s exhibitions, including those organized by him personally,” — said in an official statement in the group exhibition in Facebook.
Nevertheless, that the Moscow exhibition is not consistent with Banksy at the end of June, said in an interview with This Is Media Manager artist Holly Cushing. “Banksy didn’t give permission to have his works were shown in Russia. It does not support the holding of the exhibition. The organizers are cashing in on the name Banksy and his intellectual property. We don’t want the Russians into thinking that the exhibit has something in common with Banksy,” said Cushing.
Rumor has it that some time ago, Banksy visited the exhibition and even have posted stories (temporary post) in instagram. If he didn’t like it. Incidentally, the plot of TV channel “Culture”, released on the eve of the opening of the exhibition, said that Banksy is aware of it and “say, are going to visit”.
Finally, the fact that the publication appeared now, indirectly refutes the conventional theory that under the pseudonym of Banksy’s hiding Robert “3D” Del Naja, member of trip-hop group Massive Attack.
The theory is based, in particular, on the fact that during 12 years of work by Banksy appeared in those cities, where he performed with the group. However, Massive Attack, performed in Moscow, in Gorky Park, exactly opposite the giant banners of the exhibition on July 29. In the Russian capital, at least according to the famous portal iz.ru data, any street artist’s work appeared, and the exhibition, he wrote in his instagram a fortnight later.
Why?
Mind that Banksy has publicly expressed outrage about the Moscow exhibition, although this exhibition of his authenticated works are held worldwide.
In the comments to the post noted of the artist that pay to see his work, and had on exhibition The Art of Banksy, which in recent years has been in Toronto, Istanbul, Amsterdam, Berlin and other cities. And journalists noted how odd it was that Banksy himself has nothing to do with it. By the way, the organizer of The Art of Banksy Steve Lazarides, who calls himself “the former art Manager of the Banksy” — they worked until 2008.
And the Banksy exhibition makes it extremely reluctantly. One of the largest, not even exhibitions and shows, occurred in 2006 due to the Lazarides. Then at the opening of a warehouse in a seedy area of Los Angeles Skid row, among others, was attended by brad pitt and Angelina Jolie. And, as he wrote Vanity Fair, after the show failed to sell all the exhibits.
The last major public project of the artist has become an alternative entertainment Park Dismaland. Large-scale outdoor exhibition in the UK, leading to the terrible absurdity of the idea of Disneyland. And before that the last major authoritative exhibition in new York became, in 2008. And that can be considered a response to the “illegal” set here the year before.
The ratio of the number of copyright and authorized exhibitions of Banksy and the playful tone of his correspondence, published in instagram, say that, most likely, and the exhibition that are preparing to open from 14 September to 5 November, will also allow to sell a lot of tickets to lovers of Museum exhibitions of street art.
Ignat Orbeliani