Banksy Opens Gift Shop Selling Artwork for Cheap
Banksy’s latest installation “The Walled Off Hotel” — built along the West Bank barrier that puts a spotlight on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict — will open a gift shop and sell new works by the elusive street artist for the first time since 2013, when he set up a small, anonymous pop-up stall in Central Park in New York.
Set to open later this fall, the gift shop will be located right next to Banksy’s hotel, museum and protest gallery space that he opened in March 3, 2017 overlooking the concrete stretch of wall that passes through Bethlehem.
The works to be on sale will include limited edition crucifixes that have been fashioned into giant grappling hooks, painted keyrings and ornaments resembling parts of the wall that separates Israel and Palestine.
Most of the new works at the “Walled Off” gift shop will only be available in the West Bank shop, but a few are also going on sale in the hotel’s online store.
In terms of pricing, all of the art pieces will be much cheaper than the usual six-figures his work goes for. For example, small reproductions of the hotel’s key fobs, made to look like parts of the separation wall will cost around $26 USD, while a hand-painted version retails for about $66 USD.
The Walled Off Hotel is described as having “the worst view of any hotel in the world,” by Banksy, and his latest installation explains the turbulent history of the region, while also featuring a gallery showcasing Palestinian artists, who are often restricted from traveling and exhibiting their work in Israel and abroad.