An AI-generated mural, inspired from Banksy, is causing backlash in the artist’s hometown of Bristol.
Created in vinyl, the mural was pasted alongside the wall of the Jolly Colliers Pub in Bedminster, Bristol. The composite mural seems to include references to Cabot Towers, SS Great Britain, and Banksy’s Mild Mild West (1999). The mural soon gained wider attention and brought a wave of outrage, mostly directed towards the city’s administration.
One of the fiercest condemnations came from Caroline Maggs of Bristol Mural Collective (BMC), who said: “AI designs not only devalue but undermine the work of artists […] In a climate where humans are being replaced by AI at an alarming rate, choosing art like this is not only an aesthetic choice but a political one.” There was also an anonymous letter pasted below the mural, further criticizing it, but it was later removed.
The backlash also comes from the fact that the AI-generated mural misinterprets the artworks it was supposedly referencing. Addressing this, a spokesperson from Punch Pubs & Co, owners of the building, requested people to highlight the mistakes in the mural. They also said that they went with an AI-generated mural because they needed a temprary solution and were low on budget.
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Bristol is the hometown of street artist Banksy. The city is also famous for its street art and numerous murals that adorn every corner of the city. The Bristol city has not yet made any comments on the incident.
