The statue has appeared in London and has a Banksy signature.Image: keystone
Once again, a work of art appears in London practically out of nowhere. This time it is even marked with a signature. How do his fans react now that the artist’s identity has been revealed?
May 1, 2026, 5:20 p.mMay 1, 2026, 5:20 p.m
Banksy continues. A work by the anonymous street artist Banksy has once again surprisingly appeared in the heart of the British capital – and this time it leaves little doubt as to its authorship. A larger-than-life statue, clearly marked with his name, was installed near Waterloo Place.
On Thursday, the artist released a video documenting the nighttime setup. It is Banksy’s first work since the alleged revelation of his true identity.
The sculpture shows a man walking seemingly blindly from a pedestal into the depths. He is holding a large flag in his hands that is blowing in his face and blocking his view. The scene seems deliberately staged for drama – a metaphor that many observers interpret as a criticism of blind nationalism. The figure appears to be literally “blinded” and moves undeterred towards the abyss.
Passersby gathered around the installation that morning, photographed the work and discussed its possible meaning. As is often the case with Banksy, the effect unfolds not only on site, but above all digitally.
The work was trending on Instagram within a few hours. Hundreds of thousands of people responded to the post by “liking” it. This means that the media effectiveness should also be satisfactory for the British art star. Even if the phantom-like quality of him is no longer as strong as before, he still inspires his fans and around 14 million followers with surprising installations.
Mixed reactions to the sculpture
The post published by the artist himself also received thousands of comments. “Blinded by nationalism, he is running into the abyss,” writes one user. Others simply call the work “brilliant”. In the video itself, a man who was randomly interviewed also has his say – but he doesn’t like the statue at all.
The artistic statement causes discussions and interpretations, but the fans are enthusiastic. Even now that Banksy’s identity has apparently been revealed. For years there have been increasing indications that the artist Robin Gunningham from Bristol is behind the pseudonym.
Regardless, it turns out that the mixture of mystery, political message and surprising production works. And Gunningham’s name is not among the most followed comments. On the other hand, one user writes: “The legend is back”.
Banksy still manages to dominate the public space and social media at the same time – and spark a debate among his worldwide fans. (pd/pam/fwa)