Just when we thought that Sydney’s summer of blockbuster exhibitions couldn’t get any bigger, it just did. Some 150 artworks by Banksy, the famously anonymous granddaddy of street art, are coming to the Harbour City – with The Art of Banksy: Without Limits taking over the iconic Sydney Town Hall in January.
Having been visited by more than 110,000 guests this year alone, this mammoth exhibition comes to Sydney off the back of successful runs in Brisbane in May and Adelaide in October, which followed international tours across Europe, the Middle East, Asia and the United States. At this stage, more than 1.6 million people have now experienced the exhibition worldwide. The Sydney waitlist has been open for registrations for a few months now, but now we finally have confirmed dates and a location.
The Art of Banksy: Without Limits features (some) certified original artworks along with murals, sculptures, photos, mapping shows (in plain speak: images or animations projected onto irregularly shaped surfaces), installations (including an “infinity room”), and a simulation of ‘Dismaland Bemusement Park’ (for those who’ve never heard of it, it’s a dark and twisted theme park that was created by Banksy in 2015).
The exhibition features some of Banksy’s most famous works including ‘Flower Thrower’, ‘Rude Copper’ and, of course, ‘Girl with Balloon’. Banksy's recent Ukraine murals will be referenced, and there’s even a space that pays homage to the MV Louise Michel, the high-speed Banksy-funded boat that the artist financially keeps afloat in the Mediterranean Sea to rescue refugees (which you have to admit is pretty damn commendable, no matter how you feel about their artwork).
The exhibition is custom-built to fit each venue it visits, and organisers promise to “authentically bring the spirit of street art to the indoor exhibit”.
Tickets are available for purchase from Tuesday, December 19, but fans are encouraged to sign up to the waitlist, which opens at 6pm on December 12, and to check out the website here.