Westminster City Council has said that it is “exploring all options” for the future of Banksy’s Blinded by the Flag statue, located at Waterloo Bridge.
Elusive street artist Banksy erected the statue in Central London in the dead of night on April 29 this year. The piece features a man marching off a plinth while his face is covered by a billowing flag which he is holding.
Discussions about the fate of the famous artwork have been taking place over the summer, although no formal decision has yet been made. Options will be discussed at an upcoming Cabinet meeting for the council, the Local Democracy Reporting Service understands.
Westminster City Council, which describes itself as the custodian of the statue, has been in contact with the street artist’s team. While Banksy owns the copyright, the council has been responsible for the costs of keeping the statue safe since it first appeared in April.
A council spokesperson said: “Over the summer the council has been exploring all options for the Banksy Statue in Waterloo Place. No formal decision has been made about its long-term future.”
The statue is located in Waterloo Place, near the statue of Florence Nightingale and Crimean War Memorial. Critics have interpreted the statue as a commentary on the dangerous consequences of blind allegiance to symbols. The artwork stood undisturbed before a fence was erected around it.
Bristol-born Banksy frequently creates artwork in the capital, one of his most famous being the 2024 Menagerie. The project saw animals being sprayed up all over the capital, such as Elephants in Chelsea and Piranhas at a Ludgate police box.
His works often offer social commentary, as seen in his controversial mural on the Royal Courts of Justice. This piece, which has now been removed, depicted a judge beating a protester with a gavel, a tool not actually used by British judges.
