Who is Banksy?

Is it really that important to know the TRUE identity of an artist like Banksy?!
Do you feel a strong need to know who he is? ...and after you've discovered his name and face, what changes?

Probably nothing!

In fact, the real point is that we have this (fucking) need to know who he is? What he does? Why? The fear of the unknown. One of the main causes of the invention of God.

Starting from the beginning, a mad and genius artist who created things never seen before in the world of art and beyond:

• First show in America with a live painted elephant;.

• The creation of a Disney-themed Dismaland park, where everything is the opposite of what you'd expect in a kids' park. A pond with remote-controlled toy boats carrying migrants (a powerful sociological reflection); a fake half-built Disney castle facing a glitched Little Mermaid; a room full of photographer flashes with Cinderella's overturned carriage (a reference to Lady Diana's accident); a bumper car track with just one car carrying Death; fake burned-out info vans; park staff in Mickey Mouse ears handing out black balloons that say “I’m an imbecile,” and much more.

• The Walled Off Hotel on the Gaza Strip in Palestine, entirely set up and painted by the artist and local artists, fully themed and politicized. It sparked an absurd tourist influx in one of the world's most dangerous zones, where you might get bombed, kidnapped, or shot at any moment.

• The famous Sotheby’s auction where a painting just sold for 1 million euros was literally shredded to pieces.

These are just some of the creations the artist pulled off in a little over 20 years. Like many, he started young painting on the walls of his city, Bristol, just to have fun, get known, and express his opinions... and ended up becoming one of the most important and famous contemporary artists of the 21st century.

It's worth noting that one of the key figures who made him famous is Steve Lazarides, one of England's top gallerists and collectors, plus friendships with other big names in the cultural world and beyond from the '80s/'90s—the golden age of street art and punk/electronic music deeply connected between England and America.
A hotbed of new ideas, against the grain, fueled by rebellion and discovery, which gave birth to most of today's best-known artists: Obey, Madonna, Ramones, Depeche Mode, Massive Attack, Clash, Sex Pistols, Joy Division, Keith Haring, Basquiat, Cope2, Ron English, Futura2000, Carl Cox, Oasis, Nirvana, Prodigy, Chemical Brothers, Jeff Koons, Tupac, all of Dance/Techno music, and countless artists, genres, and movements.

That said, how many of you actually know the real name, last name, or even have a clear image of these artists' faces?

Art is purely subjective, but when it's exceptional, it becomes universal. It hits each of us right in the soul, sparks emotions, provokes deep reflections, or simply ignites a desire for Freedom.

In conclusion, with this first article, we at FLABINGO affirm that art is for everyone and by everyone, without limits of age, gender, faith, or ideology.
We want to emphasize our strong and firm decision not to sign articles with a single person's name and surname, to express a collective opinion on the world around us, free from any individual authorship.

“ It's not an archive. It's not a showcase.
It's a space for observation and taking a stand.
If you're looking for a different point of view, you're in the right place. "
Welcome to FLABINGO Magazine .