MACA Museum: Banksy & Street Art - The Early Years Art Exhibition

Banksy was not always the artist whose work is recognised around the world today. Before international fame came the streets of Bristol, spray cans, stencils and ideas that were only beginning to develop into his distinctive style. At the MACA Museum, you’ll go back to the beginning of this story and trace Banksy’s work from 1989 to 2010.

Rare drawings, photographs, paintings and stencils will show you how Banksy’s artistic language developed. The works on display reveal the methods he used as a graffiti artist and the creative process that gradually shaped his distinctive style.

An important part of this story is also the artists who shaped street art before Banksy and inspired his work. Dondi White, Futura 2000 and Jean-Michel Basquiat will introduce you to the New York scene of the 1970s and 80s. You’ll also discover Robert Del Naja - a Bristol graffiti legend and co-founder of Massive Attack. Their work will help you better understand the creative influences and artistic environment that surrounded Banksy during his early years.

You’ll see the exhibition at the MACA Museum near the famous Nyhavn waterfront, in the heart of Copenhagen. Banksy is part of a broader story of 20th- and 21st-century art here, with works by artists such as Warhol, KAWS, Haring, Koons, Hirst and Kusama also on display.

Banksy remains anonymous, but his artistic beginnings do not have to remain a mystery. At MACA, you’ll discover the works, influences and artistic environment that allow you to trace the journey of one of the most recognisable artists of our time, before the whole world knew his name.