MOSCOW, August 15. /TASS/. British street artist Banksy has been surprised to learn that his solo exhibition is currently underway in Moscow. The artist wrote it on Wednesday in his Instagram account, uploading a screenshot in which he corresponds with a fan, who tells him about the exhibition.
Looking at the photo showing the building of Moscow’s Central House of Artists with a banner announcing the solo Banksy exhibition, the elusive artist wrote "You’re funny. What the hell is that?" His interlocutor wrote it was an exhibition of his artworks in Moscow, with an equivalent of 20 British Pounds charged.
"You know, its got nothing to do with me right? I don’t charge people to see my art unless there’s a fairground wheel," he wrote, referring to his black-and-white mural with people queuing up at a ticket booth underneath a ferris wheel.
The organizers of the exhibition in Moscow have confirmed that the artist indeed has nothing to do with it. In comments under Banksy’s post, they explained that the artist sells his authorized prints to collectors without forbidding displaying them in galleries, and these artworks are featured at the exhibition.
The exhibition of the famous street artist is on between June 2 and September 2. It features about 100 exhibits, among them street objects, rare prints, photos as well as single copy works.
Unveiling the exhibition in June, producer Alexander Nachkberia said the organizers had not tried to contact the artist himself. According to him, Banksy would hardly have said something good as "he never says anything good about the people who show his art for money".
The price of a ticket to the Central House of Artists is between 550 rubles and 650 rubles (about £7-8). However, a ticket with a guided tour costs 1,400 rubles.
Guessing at the artist’s true identity still continues, with many believing he is Massive Attack’s Robert Del Naja.