An exhibition featuring graffiti artist Banksy's work at the Gallery of Modern Art in Glasgow drew a staggering 180,000 visitors over its 10-week duration.
Gallery officials declared that this was Banksy's first official solo exhibition in 14 years, breaking box office records and concluding on Monday. The exhibition also offered extended nighttime hours on weekends.
A statement on the "Cut and Run" exhibition website expressed gratitude to Glasgow, stating, "It's been a blast."
The show provided an insider's perspective on Banksy's creative process, showcasing original sketches and stencils that were repurposed to infuse them with new life.
Since 2003, Banksy has refrained from in-person interviews and kept his true identity a secret. While believed to be around 50 years old and hailing from the Bristol region, he remains enigmatic.
Who is the mysterious artist Banksy? Banksy's first solo exhibition in 14 years The traffic-coned Glasgow statue that inspired Banksy Gareth James, the manager of the Glasgow Gallery of Modern Art, noted the exhibition's wide-reaching appeal, drawing a diverse audience ranging from primary school students to octogenarians from various walks of life and parts of the world.
James commented, "Every day we open our doors to queues of hundreds of people waiting for walk-up tickets. Free community tickets and overnight opening hours have extended the museum's reach far beyond our usual scope."
Despite the no-camera policy imposed on visitors, attendees welcomed the rule, allowing them to immerse themselves in the artwork without distractions.
The exhibition will embark on a global tour, with Banksy requesting suggestions for its next destination.
Among the extensive exhibits, a detailed model explaining the process behind Banksy's shredding of his "Girl With Balloon" painting during a Sotheby's auction in London in 2018 is showcased. The painting was auctioned for £1 million before an alarm triggered a hidden shredder, halting the destruction midway.
Other pieces in the exhibition include the Union flag stab vest worn by Stormzy at Glastonbury in 2019 and works previously displayed only in Bethlehem, such as a pillow fight between an Israeli soldier and a Palestinian citizen.
Banksy has previously exhibited in Glasgow, albeit on a lower-profile scale. In 2001, he jointly organized "Peace Is Tough" at The Arches venue with Jamie Reid, renowned for his design work with The Sex Pistols.
Banksy explained his choice of venue through a sign at the Gallery of Modern Art's entrance, revealing that his "favorite work of art in the UK" is the statue outside adorned with a cone on its head for over 40 years. Despite repeated removals by the council and police, another cone replaces the removed one each time.