New Banksy exhibition opens at Moco Museum Barcelona, featuring two works never before seen in a museum

The Moco Museum Barcelona unveiled a new exhibition on Tuesday featuring the British pseudonymous artist Banksy.

'New works by Banksy,' showcases 25 artworks, most of them new additions to the museum’s existing collection of the artist’s pieces.

It is the largest exhibition of Banksy’s work ever held in Spain and includes two previously unseen pieces in a museum setting. 

All the pieces share a common theme: power and its disruption, a recurring motif in the artist's oeuvre.

One of the standout works is a crude oil painting titled 'Happy Choppers,' never before displayed in a museum.

"Banksy takes these artworks from flea markets and antique shops, they’re normally landscapes, and creates modern imagery on top of them," explains Birthe Faessen, Chief of Exhibition and Collection for Moco Museum globally.

Exhibiting Banksy is not an easy task, mainly due to authentication challenges and the fact that most of his works are in private hands.

"There are a lot of Banksy artworks currently with lenders, which means they're behind closed doors. And it is such a shame that these amazing pieces aren't accessible to the public. So it's always a challenge, but it's very gratifying," she adds.

All artworks have been officially authenticated by Pest Control, the only organization authorized to verify Banksy's works.

"Because Banksy is anonymous, it's very difficult to authenticate his work publicly. So he has created Certificates of Authenticity (COAs) issued by Pest Control, the organization established to verify all his artworks," she explains.

Another way of authenticating is through provenance. "Through documentation, we can track where a piece came from, its origin, and how it has changed hands over time," she adds.

The exhibition, which is neither authorized by Banksy nor curated in collaboration with him, also features a special work originally acquired by Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt.

'Bullet Hole Bust' (2006), now part of the museum's main collection, is a central piece of the exhibition. It engages in dialogue with the other works, drawing inspiration from classical art while being disrupted by a bullet hole.

Given Banksy's anonymity and global popularity, the museum expects large visitor numbers.

"It's very curious because there's always an aura of mystery around this global artist due to his anonymity, and that generates a lot of enthusiasm among our visitors," explains Pedro Costa, General Manager of the Barcelona museum.

The new additions will be presented alongside iconic pieces such as 'Girl with Balloon (Gold)' (2004), 'Love Is in the Air (Red)' (2003), and 'Laugh Now Panel B' (2002).