The works of the renowned British artist Banksy , whose identity remains a mystery, are always something to talk about. The bicycle without a rear wheel tied to a lamppost that accompanied the mural of a girl playing with a tire as a hula hoop disappeared last weekend in Nottingham. However, a replacement appeared yesterday, from the Raleigh Outland brand . The debate was served, both on the street and on social networks.
Although some people considered that the original bicycle was stolen, others pointed out that there could be a hidden message in the replacement, since the manufacturer of that brand was one of the largest companies in the city, and the work, located on the corner from Rothesay Avenue and Ilkeston Road in the Lenton area, it is close to the original factory, which closed 18 years ago. Others pointed out that simply the person who placed the new one wanted to pay tribute to an iconic brand of the place.
However, all doubts were clarified once the City Council indicated that the owner of the building was the one who removed it for “safekeeping” and the Nottingham Project , an organization that aims to rejuvenate the city, published in its account of Twitter that he was working with the council and with the owner to protect the work, which, as often happens with Banksy's creations , suddenly appeared on October 13 on a brick wall next to a hairdresser.
The second bike
The BBC also spoke to the person who placed the second bicycle, Kyle Myatt, a local food delivery man , who explained that after learning of the theft, he bought it for twenty pounds and put it in its place. “I only did it to see people happier. Even if it wasn't stolen I'm glad I replaced it as it looks like part of the Banksy . And at least now, if someone removes it, the original is safe. " A primary school teacher explained to the same chain that she noticed that the original was missing when she came to see the mural and noted that her husband, now deceased, worked for the Raleigh brand factory.
Once the authorship of the work was confirmed by the artist himself through his Instagram account , tourists and onlookers began to queue long to see his new creation, while the local authorities decided to cover the mural with a plastic screen, account of other occasions in which the works of the also controversial activist have been vandalized. In fact, the protection has already been cleaned at least two times after being spray painted.