Banksy Exhibition Palermo

“Ritratto di ignoto. L’artista chiamato Banksy” (Portrait of the unknown. The artist called Banksy)  is the title of the exhibition in Palermo that, from 7 October 2020 to 17 January 2021, will exhibit 100 original works by the English artist in two different locations: Loggiato San Bartolomeo and Palazzo Trinacria.

The exhibition is curated by Gianluca Marziani, Stefano Antonelli and Arcoris Andipa, commissioned by Fondazione Sant’Elia with Fondazione Pietro Barbaro, produced and organized by MetaMorfosi Associazione Culturale, under the patronage of the Municipality of Palermo and the Metropolitan City, in collaboration with MLC Comunicazione.

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Banksy Exhibition Palermo: all about the tickets

You can buy the tickets at Palazzo Sant’Elia, in via Maqueda 81.

From October 7th it will be possible to buy the tickets also at Loggiato San Bartolomeo.

It is also possible to buy tickets online.

Banksy Exhibition Palermo: prices

Standard ticket: 8€

Reduced: 6€

• Over 65
• Local guides
• Architects
• Accountants

Disabled: 4€

Schoolchildren: 4€

Combo with “Banksy” + Heroes. Bowie by Sukita” 12€

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Who is Banksy

Banksy is the best-known contemporary British artist in the world, thanks also to the fact that he has decided to remain anonymous. Originally from Bristol, where he was born around 1974, he is now one of the leading exponents of street art and represents the greatest case of success for a living artist since the time of Andy Warhol.

The artist stands out for the use of the stencil technique, given the need, during the realization of the works, to be quick and avoid the intervention of the police. Banksy became famous thanks to  his works all over the world: they are satirical, political, and provocative. He speaks about pollution, the contradictions of Western society, animal abuse, and child exploitation.

Since he also criticizes the usual systems of diffusion of arts, he has made himself the protagonist of incursions into famous museums where he has clandestinely hung works made in perfect style, but with anachronistic details. One example is Show me the Monet, where a typical landscape of the French artist houses two shopping trolleys and a street cone.

In 2019, during the inauguration of the 58th Biennale, the artist created the mural Naufrago bambino (Shipwrecked Child) in Venice, contesting the Italian government’s policy of closing ports against migrants stranded at sea.

An artist of our times who tackles the problems of contemporary society in a direct and provocative way, skillfully using the multimedia communication system.

Banksy exhibition Palermo: what to expect

The curators of the exhibition have hooked an idea: the famous “Ritratto di Ignoto” by Antonello da Messina, one of the most famous works of the Sicilian Renaissance artist. A man without name was painted by Antonello, an artist without name or face is the protagonist of this exhibition.

The exceptionality of the event consists in the fact that for the first time in Sicily more than 100 original works by the British artist are brought together. These are freehand paintings of the very first period; silkscreens considered as serial handicrafts in order to spread his messages, installations and objects from Dismaland (such as, for example, Mickey Snake, with Mickey Mouse swallowed by a python) and numbered pieces that testify to the existence of an artist who loves to experiment with different techniques and modes of communication.

It will therefore be an exhibition full of meanings, which will lead us to reflect on the present and on our society. Everything will be enriched by a catalog edited especially for the exhibition, accompanied by critical essays by Gianluca Marziani, Stefanio Antonelli and Arcoris Andipa.

Banksy exhibition Palermo: the locations

The choice of locations is also significant: two separate buildings located in the Kalsa district of Palermo.

San Bartolomeo’s Loggia

A few steps from Porta Felice, was part of the fourteenth-century hospital of San Bartolomeo degli incurabili. In 1608 the viceroy marquis of Vigliena decided to enlarge the complex equipping it with a courtyard and decorating the facade with carved stone elements. In 1826 it became an orphanage with the name of Santo Spirito.

Today the Loggiato is what remains after the bombardments of 1943. Recently restored with projects financed by the Province using the most modern techniques, today it is a wonderful window overlooking the sea, thanks also to the transparent windows.

Trinacria Palace

It is a significant place for the city, as it was the first building that was created specifically as a hotel. Designed around 1840 by architects Andrea Gigante and Vincenzo Trombetta, it had 54 luxurious rooms with bathroom and even elevator, one of the first in the city. Inaugurated in 1844, it hosted important people, including Giuseppe Garibaldi. The hotel ceased its activity in 1911. Later it was transformed into a conference center and private accommodation. The entrance is in via Butera n.24 and, towards the sea, its terrace is adjacent to that of Palazzo Butera, recently restored.

The Kalsa district

The choice of exhibition venues is of great importance for the city. An area of the city inextricably linked to the sea and that concentrates several places of interest, such as the Foro Italico, Palazzo Butera, the Puppet Museum, Piazza Marina, Palazzo Chiaramonte Steri, Palazzo Mirto, the church of San Francesco d’Assisi, the Oratory of San Lorenzo, the Ortatorio dei Bianchi, Palazzo Abatellis, Villa Giulia, the Botanical Garden, the area of Sant’Erasmo, the Spasimo, Piazza Magione. Places that you can discover together with us with our walking tour!

Palermo Wonders: be ready for your perfect day!