The piece wins something else with its site specific display. With pride, it loiters on a pedestal among actual 18th-century work, almost seamlessly. Almost. The gallery is very pleased in acquiring the work, saluting its cultural significance with warm, warm kudos because we all know how much the academic and high brow art communities lerv Banksy.

Photographer Kim Guthrie plays on the idea of Banksy’s alleged anonymity and seasoned pop culture status by photographing all sorts of young’uns, old’uns, older’uns in “I’m Banksy” t-shirts. It’s commentary on the “thrill” of his “enigma,” spinning off olde classic “I’m Spartacus!” trick or… the easiest fucking Halloween costume ever!

It’s like Julia Kim “Banksy Is My Homeboy” Smith’s domestic fantasy o’Banksy, but with much more minimal cosplay required. Check the wanna-Banksies here: “I’M BANKSY,” Kim Guthrie, Oct 25 – Nov 19, Propaganda Window, Melbourne

Did the gallery just realize Banksy is a celebrity and they have is a hidden goldmine festering in their wall?

The restored stencil is being worshiped at the Kuenstlerhaus gallery through Oct 22, after which “it may be painted over again or perhaps sold to an interested collector.” Perhaps, hahahahahahaha.

Update: What that guy below says.

They hired anonymous individuals to travel to Palestine, chisel out Banksy’s well-known pieces from the West Bank’s 2007 Santa’s Ghetto project and smuggle it out for an unsanctioned show in the Hamptons.

There’s something morbidly ironic in Kezzler’s bombastic attempt to benefit off a high-profile human tragedy by robbing it off this symbolic, peace-sympathizing art. Party up, fuckers.

The city government already wants to create a public art register and require official “permission to alter street artworks,” but behooving Banksy with heritage status and pushing legislature protecting the superstar’s wall autographs is a whole new step:

It can be argued that his work, due to its political and social statements, carries a cultural significance in modern society. The public has indicated that this needs to be kept and by extension, preserved. An application for listing is one of these methods. The effect of Listing would also ensure that the work could be preserved for future generations and grants could be applied for to preserve the work.

Presumably, as someone is sent to tend to Banksy’s stencils, the Bristol City Council will continue to spend over $165,000 a year on whitewashing graffiti without “national cultural interest.”

Parallel irony: Anarchist Art Group Voina Wins State ‘Innovation’ Art Prize

From the Yes Men to IRL Pacman, there were lots of provocateurs in there, silly, serious and both. Russian epic bridge bombing antics of Voina — that would be a “both” — kick off around 13:00.

The crew had a few words for Banksy via ANIMAL: Thanks for the support and the $120,000 that Banksy donated to bail out Oleg and Lenya after they over-turned a cop car and were facing seven years. Oleg (currently wanted and in hiding) reminds us that the left overs are “donated monthly to Russian political prisoners in different cities, for food and legal representation.” They also would like to clarify that it’s not them doing the “repressionist-rapey sucking of cop mugs,” but the “former” members “exiled” from the group, who still perform under the name.

Also, it’s Oleg’s birthday. “Where’s Thief?” “I will return!” “He will return.”

All Voina news here.

The site-specific street art illustrates real police officers and their particular heroics performed at each stencil’s location. Sure, it’s hard to boo cops saving abused children and Christchurch earthquake victims, but even the artist isn’t surprised that his work got tagged. “It was inevitable because a lot of people who entertain themselves with street activities have a hair up their arse about the police,” says Otis “down with the cops” Frizzel.

A police spokesperson looking for the aforementioned “culturally aware and savvy” recruits says, “Those responsible for defacing Mr Frizzell’s artwork clearly don’t fit this requirement.” Clearly!

If they’re so insistent on drawing the line between illegal graffiti and sanctioned street art (that’s ok, go right ahead), cops might want to bite someone other than Banksy when glorifying themselves. You don’t have to be all that “savvy” to associate this style with bad and naughty coppers.