Banksy to sell paintings to raise $1 million for a Bethlehem hospital
The trio of paintings is Banksy's critical response to the ongoing refugee crisis. They are titled "Mediterranean Sea View 2017."
By TOBIAS SIEGALA Palestinian boy walks past a drawing by British graffiti artist Banksy(photo credit: REUTERS)
Three paintings described as seascape paintings created by the renowned anonymous artist Banksy went on sale this week, with the earnings being donated to a hospital in the Palestinian city of Bethlehem in the West Bank, according to the online news platform ArtNet.com.The trio of paintings is Banksy's critical response to the ongoing refugee crisis. They are titled "Mediterranean Sea View 2017" and at first glance appear to be traditional seascape paintings, depicting a panoramic view of the ocean. A closer look, however, reveals orange life jackets in all three paintings, added subtlety on the edges of the paintings and easily missed if not paying close attention.The empty jackets are used to symbolize the many refugees, mainly Syrians, who drowned during their attempts of crossing the Mediterranean Sea and reaching a better life in Europe. Banksy's paintings went on sale at Sotheby’s London, an international auction house that offers diverse works of art from impressionist, modern and contemporary art to old master paintings, 19th century European art and Islamic art, as well as decorative art.“Banksy corrupts three found oil paintings with his own witty reworkings to create something that, while posing as a 19th-century seascape, spotlights one of the burning issues of the 21st century,” said Alex Branczik, Sotheby's head of European contemporary art.Since their creation, the seascape paintings have hung in Banksy’s hotel in Bethlehem called "The Walled Off Hotel." The controversial hotel was built in 2017 alongside the separation barrier and includes an art gallery that is open to the public and includes many of Banksy's original works of art.The paintings, donated by Banksy himself, were estimated to sell for between $1-1.5 million, which will go towards building a new acute stroke unit in a Bethlehem hospital and for purchasing rehabilitation equipment for local children.“This triptych hangs in Sotheby’s galleries alongside works by some of history’s greatest landscape painters, including Bellotto, Van Goyen and Turner. Banksy’s work however stands alone for its potent political message,” Branczik noted.While Banksy's identity is unknown, making him one of the most intriguing and mysterious modern artists alive today, he is known for both his strong political criticism, manifested in all of his works, and for his charitable donations.Earlier this year, Banksy donated to England’s Southampton General Hospital a painting of a nurse depicted as a superhero, as a tribute to medical staffers who, in our new pandemic-stricken world, are the new superheros. Banksy left a note with the work, reading: “Thanks for all you’re doing. I hope this brightens the place up a bit, even if its only black and white.”
