In a surprising turn of events, a piece of artwork created by Banksy was promptly removed from a south London street less than an hour after confirmation of its authenticity. The artist himself had verified the artwork – a traffic stop sign covered with three aircraft resembling military drones – through a social media post on Friday shortly after midday.

Shortly after the confirmation, two unidentified individuals were observed dismantling the sign at the intersection of Southampton Way and Commercial Way in Peckham at approximately 12.30pm. It is believed that Banksy was not involved in the removal of the artwork. A series of photographs confirming its authenticity had been posted on the artist’s Instagram page, accompanied by no caption or explanation.

This incident is not the only display of Banksy’s work this year. On Valentine’s Day, the artist unveiled ‘Valentine’s Day Mascara’, a 3.8-tonne mural on the side of a house in Margate, Kent. Meanwhile, the foyer of the Art of Banksy exhibition in Regent Street, central London, now features the mural where it can be viewed for free. The exhibition also showcases other notable pieces such as ‘Girl With Balloon’, ‘Flower Thrower’, ‘Rude Copper’, and focuses on Banksy’s Dismaland, the Walled Off hotel in Bethlehem, and recent works addressing the war in Ukraine.

In addition to London, an exhibition commemorating 25 years of Banksy’s stencil graffiti has opened at Glasgow’s Gallery of Modern Art for a limited run. The exhibition, entitled ‘Cut & Run’, features authentic artefacts, ephemera, the artist’s toilet, and a model that explains how Banksy shredded ‘Girl With Balloon’ during an auction at Sotheby’s in London in 2018.

Furthermore, in response to the coronavirus pandemic, Banksy has incorporated messages about the contemporary issue into his work. However, not all of the artist’s displays have been well-received, as Transport for London (TfL) removed spray paint from a London tube train carriage due to its “strict anti-graffiti policy”.

The recent theft of the traffic stop sign serves as a stark reminder of the transient nature of street art and the challenges of making such valuable works accessible to the public. Despite the swift removal, Banksy’s work continues to captivate audiences and provoke thought-provoking conversations about relevant social and political issues.