Street artist Bansky makes his museum debut in Rome

(AGI) Rome, May 23 - No one has ever seen his face, but everyone in London knows the artist Banksy. His identity is a mystery, but his works in the streets have turned him into the most famous street-artist in the world. Banksy is about to arrive in Rome, but in a museum for the first time. Palazzo Cipolla will display 150 works until Sept. 4. They will include monkeys on the silk-screen work "Laugh Now But One Day I'll Be in Charge" and the disturbing image of "Kids on Guns". The show will include paintings, prints and sculptures from international private collections, not taken from the streets. Emanuele Francesco Maria Emanuele, president of the Terzo Pilastro Foundation said: "Bringing Banksy into a museum is a contradiction for street-art. It has a legitimacy only out of museums. It was created to take out of museums the beauty of art and offer it to everyone, whatever their economic and social status. This was a necessary step to complete the long course which I began many years ago when, living in New York, I was lucky to become acquainted with Haring and Basquiat's works. Then meeting '999COntemporary', and curator Francesca Mezzano, I had the opportunity to participate in Rome's Tor Marancia project, which rehabilitated an entire neighbourhood. In my street-art journey, Catania and Arezzo have been important destinations. I, therefore, believe that this exhibition pays a well-deserved tribute to this artist. I did not want to pull down from walls his works. This show, in fact, presents work only from private collections. The works showcased are evidence of the fact that Banksy paints not only on walls, but also in his workshop. I have been impressed by the title of this production, 'War, Capitalism and Freedom', which are themes the whole world is debating today." (AGI) . .