A mural created by the famous anonymous street artist Banksy caused controversy when it first appeared in the South Bronx, New York, as part of his month-long art residency in 2013. The piece, titled “Ghetto 4 Life,” depicted a boy writing on a wall, with a butler holding a tray with spray paint cans for him. A decade later, the owner of the building decided to relocate the Banksy wall to Bridgeport, CT.
The controversial Banksy wall was moved from New York to Bridgeport
Many residents of the South Bronx, where the mural first appeared, felt that Banksy’s artwork was disrespectful to the community, as it perpetuated harmful stereotypes. They said that since Banksy, albeit anonymous, was known to be a white British man, his using the word “ghetto” in art could be seen as racially charged. Despite the criticism, the mural remained on the wall of the building at 651 Elton Avenue for several years and was only uncovered when the relocation project was initiated.
The building’s owner reportedly attempted to donate the mural to public schools in the area and institutions like MoMA, but they all refused to accept it. Because of that, it was decided to transport the Banksy piece to Bridgeport, CT. Some sources state that this location will not be the artwork’s final destination, but it is unclear whether the owner might resell the mural later.
The Banksy wall relocation project was supervised by Fine Art Shippers, a fine art logistics company based in NYC. The same company, in collaboration with the steel construction company Chesakl, previously moved another Banksy piece in 2019. The deinstallation process involved cutting the wall and digging a hole around it before placing it onto a lowboy with a crane. The mural was recently delivered to Bridgeport and installed in its new spot. Fine Art Shippers has expressed its plans to restore the artwork to its original state.
Hopefully, there is still a chance the general audience will get to see the mural. After all, Banksy has expressed many times that his art is meant to be enjoyed by the public. The artist himself, who rarely breaks the silence, has not said anything about the recent relocation.