Within 24 hours, two new murals, attested to Banksy, appeared mysteriously in different parts of London in the UK.
The first mural appeared near Kew Bridge in London, on a wall. It depicted the silhouette of a goat standing on a pillar. The goat appears to be in a dangerous position with the imminent risk of falling. The second mural appeared on two blocked-out windows on a building in Chelsea. It depicts the heads of two elephants facing each other.
Like always, the murals were confirmed by Banksy himself via Instagram posts on his official account. Many people rushed to the locations as soon as the posts went up. Others debated the meaning behind the murals in the comments. As his usual trend, Banksy offers no explanation behind his murals even on his Instagram posts, leaving them open to interpretation of his audience.
Many people viewed the goat mural to signify the dangers of climate change and/or the dangerous situation humanity is in. Others viewed the elephant mural as the proverbial “elephant in the room” – with the “elephant” possibly referring to climate change or the crisis in the UK.
The mysterious artist Banksy, whose identity remains unknown, has become one of the icons of popular art culture. He is also well-known for making socio-political statements both on and off his murals. His works are also often subject to either vandalism – like the defacing of his mural in northern London earlier this year – or removal by the authorities. The two new murals, however, were immediately covered with acrylic perspex to protect them from damage.
