Three years ago the Fondazione Roma organised a retrospective exhibition of works by the artist known as Banksy, curated by Stefano S. Antonelli, Francesca Mezzano and Acoris Andipa. I was honoured to be asked to show my collection of Bansky’s record and CD cover art at that show and when the Associazzone MetaMorfosi was planning a new show once again to be curated by Stefano and Acoris, this time at the Palazzo Ducale in Genoa planned to run from 23rd November 2019 to 29th March 2020. Acoris again asked me to lend my record and CD covers to the exhibition.
Stefano Antonelli has entitled the exhibition “Il secundo principio di un artista chiamato Banksy“, which translated means “The Second Principle of the artist known as Banksy“. Okay. But if this exhibition is Banksy’s second principle, what is his first? Stefano explains in his essay in the beautiful exhibition catalogue.
Banksy’s first principle, according to Stefano, is “If you want to say something and have people listen then you have to wear a mask“. His second principle is “If you want to be honest then you have to live a lie“. And I suppose one should bear that in mind as one views the exhibition–however, I only read the catalogue at breakfast on the morning AFTER I went to the opening.
The exhibition is housed in the Palazzo Ducale’s cellar–eminently suitable for a show of “underground” street art. It is beautifully laid out and contains prints, sculptures and aforisms in addition to my collection of record and CD covers. The works on show have all been lent by private collectors and, as the organisers are at pains to point out in the introduction to the exhibition hall, that it is not authoised by Banksy.
The only famous Banksy prints I missed were the Kate Moss series, which Banksy had done in the style of Andy Warhol. And I was reminded of how Banksy really knows his art history as I wandered round the five exhibition rooms. My records and CDs are in Room Five.
The CDs and single records are shown in an impressively massive black trunk.
All in all a thoroughly thought out exhibition that I’m very happy to have been a (small) part of. Thank you to Stefano and Acoris for letting me share this experience. But, to return to the exhibition title “Il secundo principio di un artista chiamato Banksy“, I wonder if to be honest, I have to live a lie? This exhibition is an honest retrospective of the work by the artist known as Banksy. But is Banksy living a lie in trying to be honest?
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