It has been verified that the newest and last piece of art in Banksy's unexpected animal art trail throughout the city is an artwork that is currently hanging on the shutters of London Zoo.
It depicts a gorilla opening the shutter to let birds and a sea lion out, with other creatures seemingly observing from inside.This marks Banksy's ninth appearance in London in as many days. Since August 5, pictures of goats, elephants, monkeys, wolves, pelicans, cats, piranhas, and rhinoceroses have appeared every morning.
The BBC has been informed by Banksy's crew that this is the last piece in the series, which has been attracting fans' attention for more than a week.
Banksy typically waits months between pieces of art, verifying them as soon as they surface on social media.
A wolf, pelicans, cats, goats, elephants, and monkeys have all appeared in recent artwork.
But some have unfortunately been taken down or stolen.
Hours after it was made public, a stretched cat piece of art on an abandoned, dilapidated billboard in northwest London was taken down on Saturday (August 10).
While the wolf painted on a satellite dish was stolen.
In the north-east of the capital, over a fish and chip store, another mural had surfaced a day earlier.The image was drawn over the Bonners Fish Bar in Walthamstow and showed the silhouettes of two pelicans, one of which was eating a fish.
There has been a lot of conjecture on the significance of the animals, because he has published one picture every day this week, but the mystery is heightened by the fact that he has not added a caption to any of the Instagram posts.
What's the meaning behind Banksy's latest London series?
The Guardian claims that the secretive artist's latest set of works is intended to uplift the public at a period of depressing news, including stories about widespread unrest throughout the UK.
Some people believed that the goat, which originally emerged on Monday (August 12) near Kew Bridge in south-west London, might represent the foolishness of humans. Some conjectured that it could be a visual pun on the goat, which is currently associated with the phrase "greatest of all time" in popular culture.
A representative for Pest Control Office, the collective that created Banksy, refuted the rumours, stating that individuals were exaggerating them. According to the Observer, the intention of the works was to instead bring forth an unanticipated moment of joy and showcase the human ability for creative play above devastation.
Here are a few interpretations:
It means humans are degenerating towards animalhood at a rapid pace. Not too difficult to work out.
— LucidRecce (@LucidRecce) August 10, 2024
Elephant in the room?
— Observer88 (@JR42845598) August 7, 2024
Three wise monkeys (hear/see/speak no evil)?
Goat on a rock: power, control and dominance?
Goat ( UK 🇬🇧) on the edge of a crumbling cliff , being watched by #TwoTierKeir #TwoTierPolicing ( cctv) ..
— Mark Pensarn🇬🇧🇺🇦🏴🐶🐱🌻🐬🦏 (@MarkPensarn) August 7, 2024
3 wise monkeys .
Elephants trying to unite ..
Take Two
— Colm Downes (@ColminIndonesia) August 5, 2024
If the goat in Banksy's artwork were a Capra Ibex, found in Palestine, it could add a new layer of meaning. The Capra Ibex might symbolise the resilience and enduring spirit of the Palestinian people. The CCTV camera could represent the constant surveillance and control…
Monkey see, monkey do.
— Howard Davies (@Joursans) August 10, 2024
The meaning is Banksy feels entitled to vandalise public spaces as he thinks he is above everyone else. He doesn't want to advance his views on things on platforms such as X or engage like an adult on things.
— Michael Schofield (@M_J_Schofield) August 10, 2024
He has turned self-promotion into an art form.
Banksy, whose identity has never been revealed, collaborates with a small group of assistants while working at night.
Where can I see the latest Banksy pieces?
We have written a guide for those wanting to catch a glimpse of Banksy’s recent artwork in London here.
