The Philosophy Behind Banksy’s Art

In Venice, during the Biennale, Banksy created a guerrilla exhibition criticizing mass tourism. A series of classical-style oil paintings were arranged to depict a massive cruise ship dwarfing the city’s skyline. Next to it, a mural showed a refugee child sending an SOS in pink neon. The juxtaposition of indulgence and desperation laid bare the contradictions of global capitalism. It asked viewers to consider how beauty, culture, and suffering are often intertwined beneath the surface of tourist snapshots.