London authorities welcome new Banksy sculpture and have no intention of demolishing it

London authorities have said they welcome a new sculpture by anonymous street artist Banksy in Waterloo Square and have no plans to remove it. The sculpture depicts a man blinded by a flag covering his face and appears to be made of resin or fibreglass.

Reuters writes about this.

The statue was first spotted in Waterloo Square on April 29. This is the government district of Westminster, where royal palaces, government agencies and gentlemenʼs clubs are located.

It follows the style of nearby statues, including King Edward VII on horseback, nurse Florence Nightingale and statesman Sidney Herbert. On April 30, a video appeared on the artistʼs Instagram showing the installation of the sculpture.

The costumed figure has tipped his foot to step over the edge of a pedestal, and appears to be about to fall. Commentators on Banksy’s Instagram have suggested that the work is about “blind patriotism” and question how he managed to pull off such a stunt in the heart of the British establishment.

"We welcome Banksyʼs latest sculpture in Westminster, which is a striking addition to the cityʼs vibrant public art scene. While we have already taken initial steps to protect the statue, it will remain available for the public to view and enjoy for now", a Westminster council spokesperson said in a statement.

• Street artist Banksyʼs works often contain political and social messages, appearing in public spaces around the world, including in Ukraine after the outbreak of full-scale war. The true identity of Banksy is still unknown.
• Although recently Reuters journalists stated that they were able to establish the true identity of Banksy, who has remained anonymous for more than two decades. His murals in the Kyiv region played a key role in this. According to the journalists, his current name is David Jones.

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