Glasgow unveils the first official retrospective devoted to street artist Banksy

This is his first solo exhibition in fourteen years. The street artist Banksy, whose identity is still kept secret, will be the subject of a retrospective in the Gallery of Modern Art in Glasgow (GoMA). A “world exclusive”, according to the Scottish daily The Herald, quoted by Courrier International. The graffiti artist will reveal “for the first time the stencils used to create his most famous works.” Some of them, like Kissing Coppers, the graffiti of a kiss between two policemen, will be recreated for the occasion.

The material used to produce the artist's works has been preserved. “I thought they could serve as exhibits in the event of vandalism, explains the artist to the Scottish newspaper. Now I exhibit them in a gallery as works of art. Which is perhaps an even more serious crime.”

This retrospective is the first dubbed by Banksy himself. For several years, exhibitions devoted to the street artist without his consent have been organized around the world, notably in Las Vegas, Sydney and Paris. The exhibition, entitled Cut and Run (meaning "Filer à l'anglaise") this time looks back on twenty-five years of work and presents "real pieces" from the artist's collection.

The artist, originally from Bristol in England, says he chose Glasgow for this exhibition because of a statue located in front of the GoMA. This depicts the Duke of Wellington, a former British Prime Minister, on his horse, wearing a construction cone. “Each time a cone is removed by the authorities, another appears. That makes it my favorite work of art in the UK,” explains the artist. His exhibition is intended as a tribute to the “unique sense of humor of the people of Glasgow”. Banksy's works will remain on display until August 28.