New Banksy pops up at London Zoo – could this be the last? | UK News
Another Banksy has appeared in England’s capital – this time at London Zoo.
The artwork depicting a gorilla, seal and birds marks his ninth instalment in a series so far focused solely on animals.
Speculation about the meaning of this artwork varies, with some commenting that it’s an “anti-zoo message” and others calling it a “tribute to London Zoo”.
Banksy‘s latest graffiti campaign began last week, when an ibex goat appeared near Kew Bridge, in Richmond, west London.
This was followed by murals of elephants, monkeys, a wolf, pelicans and a cat, which appeared in various locations across the capital – and swimming piranhas appearing overnight in a police box in the City of London on Sunday.
Fans thought the series might finish at the end of last week – but another mural of a rhino appearing to mount an old silver Nissan Micra was found yesterday.
After the discovery of the gorilla artwork, London Zoo’s media manager Rebecca Blanchard told Sky News: “This is his [Banksy’s] incredible new mural.
“It’s at our entrance and will be available for people to see and admire. It’s very cool!”
Ms Blanchard believes it’s “a series to bring cheer and joy to London”.
“Animals bring joy – it’s a fact he’s clearly on board with,” she said.
The anonymous artist shared an image of the artwork to his Instagram page, as he has with all the instalments so far.
Some think this could mark the end of Banksy’s latest campaign, with one Instagram user commenting: “Looks like the final one – where it all started.”
The Banksy animals so far
Banksy usually leaves months between his artworks, but they’ve been coming thick and fast. Here’s a recap of what else he’s done in London over the past nine days:
5 August: First piece appears in west London. Pic: PA
6 August: Two elephants with their trunks stretched toward each other appear on building near Chelsea. Pic: PA
7 August: Three monkeys are painted on a bridge in Brick Lane.
Pic: PA
8 August: A wolf howls in Peckham for Banksy’s fourth. Pic: PA
9 August: Pelicans pinch fish from Bonners Fish Bar in Walthamstow. Pic: PA
10 August: A catch stretching in Cricklewood. Pic: Reuters
11 August: Fish swim on a police box in the City of London. Pic: PA
12 August: The rhino mounting a car in Charlton
With the animal images coming daily, there has been much speculation about the meaning behind the series.
According to The Guardian, the new series of work by the elusive artist is meant to cheer up the public at a time when the news has been bleak, including headlines on widespread rioting across the UK.
The artist also made headlines in June when he released a migrant boat installation over the crowd at Glastonbury during performances by Idles and Little Simz.
Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News
