There are three types of Banksy exhibitions:
1) Firstly, we have the official exhibitions, which Team Banksy organises. Some of them are group shows, and some are exclusively Banksy. Banksy posted a list of his major exhibitions on his website in 2018:
Labeled as ‘REAL’ in the column to the left:
- Walled Off Hotel, 2017
- Dismaland, 2015
- Better Out Than In, 2013
- Banksy vs Bristol Museum, 2009
- Village Pet, 2008
- Cans Festival, 2008
- Barely Legal, 2006
- Crude Oils, 2005
- Turf War, 2003
Since posting this list in 2018, you can add the Gross Domestic Product from 2019 and the Cut & Run from 2023.
2) Unauthorised exhibitions with authentic works are well-curated displays of special edition screen prints, canvases, and other unique materials, all with a Certificate of Authenticity issued by the Pest Control Office. The MOCO Museum in Amsterdam has an excellent, but unauthorised, permanent Banksy exhibition. Another one featuring authentic pieces is the touring exhibition Art of Banksy, last seen in Covent Garden, London. Former agent Steve Lazarides initially curated the Art of Banksy.
Two other touring exhibitions with authentic artwork are Banksy: The Art of Protest, which was previously titled “Genius or Vandal?” and Building Castles in the Sky. These exhibitions source their pieces from serious, long-term collectors. One can assume they are not very popular with the Banksy camp, but they are honest and well-executed exhibitions.
3) Then we have the fake exhibitions. There are several ongoing exhibitions around the world with 100% fake Banksy artwork, squeezing out the exhibits mentioned above. They have no insurance or cost of sourcing the art, as they only display fakes. Typically, these fake exhibits consist of bad reproductions of street art and shoddy copies of his most iconic canvases and screen prints. The organisers often promote the fake studio pieces as being authentic. To make it even more fake and confusing, one of these shady operators has copied the name of The Art of Banksy from the exhibit mentioned above.
The following photos are from the 100% fake but well-attended exhibit The Mystery of Banksy – A Genius Mind in Malmö, Sweden:
Photos from the 100% fake Banksy exhibition The Mystery of Banksy – A Genius Mind in Malmö, Sweden. Photos: R.A.
Banksy unofficial 