The Banksy mural, which initially appeared shortly after Britain's vote to leave the EU, has been demolished along with the building it adorned. The art, estimated to be worth £1m, emerged in Dover in 2017, following the controversial referendum.
The mural that once decorated the Castle Amusements building showed a worker removing one of the 12 yellow stars from the blue EU flag. It had become a popular tourist attraction in the town as a symbol of the EU, but in 2019 it abruptly disappeared when it was painted over.
Banksy has revealed a new exhibition featuring his thought-provoking street art. Despite efforts to restore the work, the building it was painted on has been demolished as part of a larger regeneration project.
The new development, called "The Bench," will include cultural and community engagement facilities along with residential dwellings, according to local authorities. In a statement to CNN, a spokesperson for Dover City Council (DDC) explained that professional conservation advice led to the decision that preserving the Banksy artwork would be too costly for local taxpayers, even if technically possible, leading to the authorization of its demolition.
The mural was whitewashed in 2019 but efforts had been made to try and conserve some of the artwork beneath the paint.
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In a detailed explanation of the project online, the council said it had not been involved in painting or covering up the mural.
Despite this, the spokesman stated that their contractor, DDS Demolition, is "exploring options to preserve the Banksy artwork." He acknowledged that there is "no guarantee" due to the artwork being painted over and the deteriorated state of the render, but mentioned that the contractors have successfully saved some portions of the artwork.
The freezer, which is a part of Banksy's new mural, was removed just hours after the artist confirmed its existence. The demolition company has agreed to cover any extra expenses, which could potentially transfer ownership of the artwork to them if the removal is successful.
The demolition firm's spokeswoman mentioned in an email to CNN that the pieces of the mural they retrieved are currently undergoing assessment. She also stated that DDS is putting in all efforts to salvage the artwork for the community to enjoy.
The mysterious artist, whose true identity remains unknown, has not made any public statements about the demolition.
Despite the increasing market value of his artwork, Banksy continues to create paintings in public areas that are difficult to preserve and are at risk of theft or defacement.
Banksy's renowned "Spy Booth" mural, which portrays three covert agents surveilling a phone booth, was destroyed in 2016. Similarly, in February of this year, an unused freezer, featured in a Banksy artwork in the town of Margate, was removed shortly after Banksy claimed it as his own.
In 2018 the artist famously destroyed one of his own works when moments after selling at auction for $1.4 million his painting of a girl with a red balloon passed through a shredder.
