Extremely rare Banksy street work added to MediaCity exhibition

Unseen for more than a decade, new blockbuster Banksy exhibition The Art of Banksy has revealed that it will be showing the extremely rare Banksy artwork when it opens at MediaCity Salford, Friday 21 October 2022 – Sunday 8 January 2023. 

Early street work Leopard and Barcode will be displayed in the foyer of The Art of Banksy, giving the public the opportunity to come and enjoy it free of charge.

The Art of Banksy curators have revealed, that following the announcement of the exhibition to the media in September, a person wishing to remain anonymous got in touch offering the piece on loan to be displayed at MediaCity.

Originally sprayed on the side of a house in Nailsea near Bristol in either 1999 or 2000, Leopard and Barcode was destined to be lost forever when the house was scheduled for demolition in 2010. A local architect spotted its significance and got permission to save the artwork, spending a day chiselling it off the wall.

The rare work then spent many years wrapped in a blanket under the architect’s spare bed, being shown only once at the local school where his wife worked.

Organisers are delighted to include the piece in the coming exhibition.

“It’s a privilege to be able to show this rare early work,” commented a curator. “It comes with a fascinating story and it’s great that people will have the opportunity to see it again.”

The Art of Banksy, presented in association with HOME, will feature 145 authenticated Banksy works ranging from prints, canvases, limited-edition pieces, unique works and fascinating ephemera. It represents a rare opportunity to see an overview of Banksy’s work from 2002 to 2017 in a purpose-built 1,200 square metre temporary structure in the heart of MediaCity, offering visitors the chance to view the artist’s work in a way not possible on the street or in any museum or gallery.

Visitors can see the iconic artworks that brought the anonymous artist international acclaim, including Girl With Balloon (2002) in three different colour variations, Flower Thrower (2003), Rude Copper (2002), and Brace Yourself (2010) – a work which made headlines when Banksy gifted the painting to the band formerly known as ‘Exit Through the Gift Shop’ in exchange for the rights to their name.

The Art of Banksy is an exhibition for all ages – an unmissable show for culture lovers and indeed anyone who wants to learn more about the artist and what their work reveals today; the power of art to affect social change, inspire the public and lay bare the undercurrents of social issues with understated wit.