Fans of Bristol street artist Banksy will be made to hand in their mobile phones so they can’t film or picture a new official exhibition of his work that suddenly opened today.
Anyone visiting the exhibition, called Cut & Run and which opened today at the Gallery of Modern Art in Glasgow, will be asked to put their phones in a lockable pouch for the duration of their visit to the exhibition.
The exhibition announcement surprised Banksy fans when the mysterious street artist declared it open through his official Instagram account. It runs until August 28, and tickets went on sale immediately.
Read next: Banksy explains Cut & Run exhibition and why he's showing stencils after so long
The ban on people taking their phones through - or at least having their phones in their hands - as they view the exhibition is to stop people taking photos and videos of what’s being displayed.
“No photography is permitted in the show,” Banksy said. “There are restricted environments that require you to stay in the moment and keep moving. You will be asked to put your phone in a lockable pouch for the duration. Souvenir Polaroids taken by a member of staff are available on request and are complimentary,” the artist added.
The show is an exhibition of 25 years of the stencils Banksy uses to create his world-famous artwork, with the subtitle to the exhibition ‘25 years card labour’, showing stencils used by Banksy from 1998 to 2023. The exhibition, unusually, is going to be open almost round the clock. It will be open from 9am to 11pm from Sunday to Thursday, but on Friday and Saturday, it will stay open until 5am the following morning.
“At weekends we are open all night but please be aware the show contains tight spaces, fragile items and disorientating light effects, if you show up appearing to be very intoxicated you may be refused entry,” Banksy said in the exhibition’s FAQs page.
Banksy said in a statement: "I've kept these stencils hidden away for years, mindful they could be used as evidence in a charge of criminal damage. But that moment seems to have passed, so now I'm exhibiting them in a gallery as works of art. I'm not sure which is the greater crime."
The elusive street artist rarely exhibits his creations, making this event even more special. It's been 14 years since he brought his artwork to Bristol when he took over Bristol Museum. The exhibition was the most visited in the history of the museum
For more information on CUT & RUN: 25 years card labour, click here.
Read more:
