Banksy's piranhas police box put in protective storage ahead of museum display

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A Banksy artwork, wherever a solid constabulary container looks similar a vessel of piranhas, has been moved into protective retention up of its show astatine the London Museum's caller location.

The artwork made headlines past summertime erstwhile it appeared arsenic portion of the thoroughfare artist's animal-themed postulation successful the capital, which concluded with a gorilla appearing to assistance up a shutter connected the entranceway to London Zoo.

The piranhas portion is present successful the attraction of London Museum and volition beryllium kept successful unafraid retention earlier it becomes accessible to the nationalist arsenic portion of a imperishable show astatine the museum's Smithfield location, which is opening successful 2026.

The artwork is moved from London's Guildhall

The constabulary container had stood successful Ludgate Hill since the 1990s earlier it was painted to lucifer a food tank.

The container was temporarily relocated by the City Of London Corporation to Guildhall Yard, wherever thousands of visitors viewed it from down information barriers, aft Banksy confirmed helium was liable for the artwork.

It was aboriginal moved to Guildhall's South Ambulatory.

Banksy's London animals postulation was made up of 9 works including a rhino seemingly mounting a metallic Nissan Micra, 2 elephant silhouettes with their trunks stretched retired towards each other, and 3 monkeys that appeared arsenic though they were swinging connected a bridge.

Some of the works, which besides included a howling wolf connected a outer dish, were removed, covered up oregon vandalised, aft being painted crossed the metropolis from 5 to 13 August 2024.

Chris Hayward, argumentation president of the City of London Corporation, said: "Banksy stopped Londoners successful their tracks erstwhile this portion appeared successful the Square Mile - and now, we're making it disposable to millions.

"By securing it for London Museum, we're not lone protecting a unsocial portion of the City's story, but besides adding an artwork that volition go 1 of the museum's prima attractions."

Brendan Barns, president of the City of London Corporation's culture, heritage, and libraries committee, said: "Banksy's Piranhas are already portion of City fable - and soon, they'll beryllium portion of London's story, too.

"Moving this portion into the attraction of London Museum guarantees that millions of radical volition beryllium capable to bask it, alongside an bonzer postulation that celebrates the capital's creativity and diversity."

Glyn Davies, caput of curatorial astatine London Museum, added: "With the accomplishment of Banksy's Piranhas, our postulation present spans from Roman graffiti to our archetypal portion of modern thoroughfare art.

"This enactment by 1 of the world's astir iconic artists present belongs to Londoners, and volition support making waves erstwhile it goes connected amusement adjacent twelvemonth successful the Museum's caller Smithfield home."

London Museum's London Wall tract opened successful 1976 and closed successful December 2022 successful mentation for the determination to Smithfield.

London Museum Docklands remains open.

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