The Domestic Violence Mural by Banksy Dismantled Again

The domestic violence mural in England suffered great forfeiture, for the second time. Artist Banksy created the mural and gave the name Valentine’s Day Mascara. This mural shows a different side of Valentine’s Day – it is not only about love. But, British officers from Kent decided to remove its core pieces, and called for protecting the town’s safety.

Banksy’s mural shows 1950s housewife. She has a beaten eye, and is missing a tooth. Banksy‘s main female figure is standing next to an exposed chest freezer. Also, next to an upright plastic chair. She closed the man inside the fridge. With this illustration, he wanted to show a different side of this holiday – abusive side and abusive male partner.

First, local officials (Thanet district council) removed a few pieces, calling for safety reasons. They removed a freezer, a chair, blue crate and an empty beer bottle. But, the council quickly returned all taken pieces. The Thanet council also spoke about recent events. “The council has a duty to ensure the ongoing safety of the public. It was necessary to carry out works to the freezer for health and safety reasons”, a spokesperson said.

But, after this incident, another event occurred. The Red Eight Gallery (London) decided to dismantle it again. But this time, the reasons behind the dismantlement of the pieces are different. The gallery is putting in an effort to save the mural’s pieces. The gallery represents the home owners on whose homes Banksy installed the mural.

They removed the freezer and placed a sheet of plastic over the mural, in order to shield the mural’s paint. Everything is done with homeowners consent. Currently, the gallery is working on finding a permanent home for the mural. Julian Usher, chief executive of the gallery, said the homeowner wants to use the mural so that he can raise awareness about domestic abuse. Also, they think a local charity should be included in the prevention of domestic abuse over women.

The gallery plans to remove the whole piece and possibly place it at a local museum. In order to do so, they need to work with civil engineers and building contractors. They are also in contact with the Turner Contemporary Art Gallery. This art gallery could be a safe space for the mural and for what it represents.

The owner showed great appreciation for Banksy’s gift. He also said he will give his best to promote a fight against domestic abuse. “The owners feel the weight of responsibility placed on them with this unexpected turn of events. They will do everything they can to promote the message around domestic abuse”, Julian Usher said.

For the whole work, Ushed said it will take around a month. Also, he said it will cost around £60,000-100,000 to safely protect the domestic violence mural. Supporters also expressed their happiness with the new installation on Instagram, commenting “welcome back” and “nice to see art from you, Mr. Banksy.”