Everyone wants a picture with a Banksy mural. Now you can do just that in Dubai at this brand new digital art exhibition at TODA (Theatre of Digital Arts). The anonymous, but famous, street artist’s viral murals have been packaged into a virtual experience with the ‘Banksy 360 ° Art of the Rebel’ event at TODA at Madinat Jumeirah.
Dubai’s street art credentials have been on the up and up for years now but it’s going to get a shot in the arm with this unique new experience. Instead of having to hike out to London, Los Angeles or Paris or the West Bank, you can witness Banksy trailblazing murals right here in Dubai. We’re talking not just a handful of murals but a whopping 50 murals.
Which Banksy paintings will be featured?
Based on the images on ToDA’s website, you can look forward to seeing iconic street art such as the Flower Thrower, Red Horseman, Girl with a Balloon and more. The 30-minute experience will play out inside an immersive space within TODA from March 16 to April 30. Designed to be interactive, we’re told this exhibit lets you engage with the subversive street artist’s artwork like never before.
Why’s Banksy such a big deal?
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve definitely seen and heard of Banksy’s defiant art pop up around the world both in mainstream news and on your social media apps. His most popular mural, Girl With A Balloon, made headlines when its canvas version self-destructed at an auction after having fetched an eye-watering $1.4 million. RIP whoever paid for it.
What adds to Banksy’s appeal is that not only is his art created stealthily under the cover of dark but also that his identity has remained a mystery for the last 3 decades. No one knows what Banksy’s real name is (it’s a pseudonym) or what he looks like and the anonymity continues. That he hails from the city of Bristol is all we know. Once an artwork appears, Banksy confirms ownership of them on his official Instagram page.
Banksy’s art has made it to Dubai before
This isn’t Dubai’s first brush with the rebellious artist. In 2021 ‘The World of Banksy – The Immersive Experience’ brought reproductions of 120 of his works to the Mall of the Emirates. This digital exhibition at TODA will display his art beyond their 2D constraints. The arresting images will also conceal messages that you’ll have to decipher. Tickets cost AED 95 per adult and can be purchased here.