Banksy's wolf artwork stolen just an hour after unveiling

The faceless artist Banksy's new artwork, unveiled in London, the U.K., has been stolen, prompting local police to investigate. Since Monday (local time), Banksy has been leaving an animal mural in London each day, and the stolen artwork was unveiled on Thursday.

According to the BBC and other sources, on this day, Banksy depicted a wolf howling at the moon on a satellite dish installed on top of a building on Rye Lane in Peckham, South London. However, the artwork disappeared within just an hour. A citizen who witnessed the theft told the BBC, "One of the three masked thieves dismantled the satellite dish, while the other two stood by the ladder." He also reported that he was assaulted by the thieves while trying to film the theft and almost had his phone taken. The British police have not yet caught the culprits.

Banksy, whose artistic value is recognized and whose works sell for large sums at exhibitions and auctions, has recently gained much attention for his unique murals in London. He began on Monday by unveiling a goat mural on the wall of a building in Richmond, Southwest London. On the 6th, he left a mural of two elephants on a residential building in Chelsea, London. Then, on Wednesday, he created a mural of three monkeys on a railway bridge wall in Brick Lane, East London, an area known for its many vintage clothing shops.

The lack of explanation accompanying Banksy's new works has fueled curiosity about their meaning. Some have dubbed this series of animal murals the "London Zoo Series" and speculated that it might be a metaphor for the far-right rioters leading recent large-scale racial discrimination protests in the U.K.

Banksy, whose identity remains unknown, including his real name, has been making his work known by leaving murals around the world and posting photos on social media. The BBC expects Banksy's animal-themed series to conclude around the weekend.


김보라 기자 purple@donga.com