The Banksy Museum has opened in Krakow. It tells the story of one of the most famous and mysterious contemporary artists. The museum is housed in the interior of the 19th-century Plated, Silver and Metal Works Factory of Marcin Jarra in Krakow’s Kazimierz district. Its interiors feature more than 150 reproductions of Banksy’s work.

Visitors have three floors to view the designs realised by Banksy in different places around the world. They can see his journey from a graffiti artist exploring new possibilities and playing with different concepts, to the person we know today – an engaged artist who speaks out when he sees injustice, violence, weakness.

“We have placed the works immediately on the walls. They are not put into a frame and fixed in a way that would allow them to be moved. If the museum ceases its activities, they will be destroyed. We have done this so that they cannot be sold”, says museum creator, art manager and theatre director Hazis Vardar who previously opened the Banksy Museum in Paris and has also organised similar ventures in Brussels, Barcelona, Lisbon and Prague.

Banksy is one of the most enigmatic figures in contemporary art. The artist’s name is unknown – the date and place of his birth, as well as his appearance, are also a mystery. He is supposed to have started his artistic adventure as a graffiti artist. Before that, he played with art and stencils; his designs with rats (ART-RAT, the juxtaposition of these words struck him) became very popular. He can now be described as a committed artist, his works have found their way into war-torn Ukraine.

The Krakow Museum offers a glimpse into the artist’s artistic path and the nature of his works. It also allows visitors to see their scale, which is often not reflected in photographs or videos. The accumulation of works in one place allows viewers to see the themes running through this work. Activities and workshops will be held inside the museum.

Arkadiusz Słomczyński