The Art of Banksy: Without Limits at the Activity Center of the Del Mar Fair Grounds

 by Patricia Frischer

The story of Banksy is without doubt one of the most amazing art sagas of the last 30 years. His secret identity plays into his subversive philosophy. In fact is he a man, a woman or even a collective? They/he is openly anti-establishment and therefore a hero to a whole generation. But his success in the high-end market is the twist that makes the story complicated. 

That old Groucho Marks comment, “I wouldn't want to belong to a club that would have me as a member.” seems to apply. As does the one by Mark Rothko who withdrew his painting from the Four Seasons in New York, stating, “anybody who will eat that kind of food for those kind of prices will never look at a painting of mine”.

Banksy arranged for his  Girl with Balloon (2006) painting that sold in 2018 for over a million at auction, to be shredded when the hammer came down. It was retitled Love is in the Bin and sold in 2021 for $25 million.  This show gives a wide selection of works unofficially attributed to Banksy. No one really knows who makes the money from the sales but a company called Pest Control is set up as the authentication specialist and they make money from this service.  

This show has about 200 artworks, with some certified originals which are not identified and many, many replicas/reproductions.  This is a traveling exhibition produced by Sorina Burlacu started in 2019 in Romania and has been in as London, Vienna, Seoul, Singapore, Melbourne, São Paulo, Mexico City, and multiple U.S. locations.  The work we all know is the stenciled pieces created right on the walls and they remain favorites. Some of these originals have been torn off their walls and changed hands. Yes, he makes fun of the police, but he often humanizes them. So it is the social currency which is the lasting value of his works.

The array of other works in this exhibition is rather staggering. There is a room full of master works that have been commandeered like the Monet that has old shopping carts dumped into the pond. Classical sculptures are cleverly vandalized.  But there are also album covers, installation like the bathroom, the phone box, the hotel room.

Try to allow time to watch the video documentaries, the hologram of Banksy speaking (no, you never see his face but the hoodie is a trademark outfit), the mirror room. Banksy has been involved in many conflict-affected areas which are showcased. Below is a drawing he gave to a hospital during COVID to show how nurses are the real heroes of our communities.  A sculpture of a boat load of refugees was so poignant. There are ways at the exhibition to contribute to MV Louise Michel - a charity that helps refugees and rescues migrants in distress at sea in the Mediterranean. Parker Edison is the project manager who took an empty shell at the Activity Center at the Del Mar Fairgrounds and transformed it. The Parker Edison Project is a KPBS podcast featuring insightful conversations about creativity and community.

CD disk cover

Album cover

Dismaland

“Exit Through the Gift Shop.” 

Magnets so everyone can afford their own Banksy...better yet make one for yourself. 

Don't forget to look up. 

Don't forget to look down. 

Patricia Frischer is the founder and coordinator of the San Diego Visual Arts Network. She writes these visual art reports for SDVAN covering the entire region of San Diego, as well as a monthly  A+Art Blog. Reach her at patricia@sdvisualarts.net , Remember to list your SD arts events on SDVAN

P.S. A Love Story Behind The Art of Banksy
By Lonnie B. Hewitt. Photos by Maurice Hewitt.

Xavier Pacheco and Sorina Burlacu on Opening Night in Del Mar.

For me, a special event on opening night was getting to meet and chat with Xavier Pacheco, Production Manager of the exhibition, who shared with me his personal story of love and art.

Originally from Chile, he met Art of Banksy’s producer Sorina Burlacu, who is from Romania, four years ago, when she brought her show to the Centro Cultural Gabriela Mistral (GAM) in Santiago, Chile, where he was the manager. 

It was pretty much love at first sight, so they needed to meet again, somewhere between Chile and Romania. They decided on the Bahamas, and they’ve been touring together with the show ever since. 

The Banksy Hologram

Xavier and a Chilean team created the hologram, which really calls out to be seen in person. Here’s my favorite Banksy quote from this piece: “Monet had light, Hockney had color; I only have a few minutes until the police get here.”

This month, the happy couple were in Bucharest, where they now live, and then went on to London, to “refresh” the show there.  They’ll be back here in April to close out the Del Mar show, which continues through April 19.  If you haven’t seen it yet, you have time, and it’s something you won’t want to miss. 

I’m closing out this love story with a Banksy piece I love and hope you will too.

 

Not just monkeying around.

Lonnie Burstein Hewitt is an award-winning author/lyricist/playwright who has been writing about arts and lifestyles in San Diego County for over a dozen years. You can reach her      at hew2@sbcglobal.net

The Art of Banksy: Without Limits
Del Mar Fairgrounds Activity Center
2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd, Del Mar 92014
On view through April 19, 2026
Exhibit hours:
Noon to 8 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays
10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays
10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays
 Tickets start at $22