World’s Largest Collection Of Banksy Artworks Closes In Toronto Next Month!

The Art of Banksy, featuring more than 160 pieces from the anonymous Bristol-based artist, will close in September ahead of relocating to a new site.  

The Art of Banksy

Lighthouse ArtSpace, 1 Yonge Street

For Immediate Release --Toronto, Canada – Monday, August 12, 2024 --The Art of Banksy, a major exhibition of the artist’s era defining works has been drawing record crowds in Toronto since opening it doors in May 2024. Starvox Exhibits will be moving the collection this fall to a soon to be revealed North American city, with plans to close in Toronto next month. The Art of Banksy premiered in Toronto in 2018 and has since been attend by over 1.5 million visitors in 15 cities across the globe. This current touring collection now features twice the number of artworks and is valued at over $35 million.

Presented by live entertainment company, Starvox Exhibits, in collaboration with London-based GTP Exhibitions, The Art of Banksy includes more than 160 pieces on display for first time in Toronto, including stencils used in wall graffiti alongside previously unseen artworks, prints, canvases and fascinating ephemera. Four colour versions, including a rare gold version, of Girl With Balloon and a global exclusive of the first ever Flower Thrower are among the most iconic artworks on view. The exhibition also features the North American debut of Banksy’s 2022 version of the Mona Lisa. This previously unknown work was purchased directly from the artist in 2003 by an unnamed Hollywood A-lister. In 2022, it was returned to Banksy who, true to form, transformed it into an entirely new piece.

Additionally, visitors to The Art of Banksy can expect to learn more about Banksy’s international public art installations, including Dismaland, Walled Off Hotel and brand-new images addressing the ongoing war in Ukraine. The collection also boasts a rare selection of personal artworks and truly one-off pieces including stencils created and used by the artist, as well as personal works that Banksy created for friends, associates, and lovers. 

For the first time in North America, Banksy’s printer, who along with Banksy set up Pictures on Walls to sell street art and publish prints, shares personal stories giving unique insight into some of the world’s most famous images, engrossing background on how those headline-grabbing street art stunts were devised and how, with their irreverent wit and a biting political edge, this visionary took the art world by storm without ever revealing his identity.

The Art of Banksy is an unmissable show for anyone who wants to learn more about one of the world’s most important current artists and what his work reveals today; the power of art to affect social change, inspire the public and lay bare the undercurrents of social issues. 

Limited tickets for the The Art of Banksy at the Lighthouse Artspace Toronto, 1 Yonge Street are available for the duration of the run and can be booked online at www.banksyexhibit.com.

 The Art of Banksy is not curated or authorized by the artist.