Banksy Rhino Artwork Vandalized in London
One of the nine murals created by Banksy in London over a nine-day period has been defaced. The artwork, depicting a rhinoceros seemingly mounting a dilapidated Nissan Micra with a traffic cone on its bonnet, appeared in south-east London on Monday. The piece was confirmed as a Banksy on the artist's Instagram account.
Later that evening, a man wearing a balaclava and wielding a can of white paint was filmed spraying a tag onto the mural while onlookers shouted, "Don't do that!" The graffiti tag appears to be a dollar sign and a V. Banksy's mainstream success and his use of stencils instead of freehand painting have not always made him a popular figure amongst street artists.
A witness, Devan Vadukul, told the BBC that a "random youth" had "brazenly walked up and defaced the installation with a graffiti tag". He stated that the whole incident took place in less than 30 seconds before the individual disappeared down the road with another accomplice.
The defaced artwork is part of a series of nine animal stencils Banksy has uploaded online over consecutive days. The first piece, a goat perched on a wall, appeared on 5 August. It was followed by silhouettes of elephants, monkeys, a wolf, pelicans, and a cat.
On Sunday, Banksy confirmed he was responsible for adding a school of piranhas to a police sentry box in the City of London. The box was subsequently cordoned off, and the City of London Corporation announced that the artwork had been moved to a "safe location" â Guildhall Yard.
A spokesperson for the corporation explained that the relocation was necessary to ensure the artwork's protection and accessibility to the public. A permanent home for the piece will be decided at a later date.
The vandalism incident has sparked debate about the preservation of street art, particularly works by renowned artists like Banksy. While some view such acts as a form of artistic expression, others consider them acts of destruction and disrespect to the original artist's work.
