New Banksy Installation Debuts on Valentine’s Day, Part of Artwork Removed for Safety Reasons

Following the unveiling of a new Banksy piece in the Margate area of southeast England, a portion of the display has been removed multiple times, most recently by an art gallery as part of a larger aim to secure the piece’s “safe removal.”

According to the Guardian, the new piece was first spotted on Valentine’s Day and was later confirmed by the artist to be a genuine Banksy. The piece shows a woman with injuries to her face slamming the door of a freezer on a man, whose feet can be seen sticking out of the freezer in the original, full-scale version of the artwork.

In a statement, also shared on Tuesday, the Thanet District Council confirmed it had removed the freezer portion of the installation due to what they described as a safety issue. At the time, the council said the freezer would “be returned once it has been made safe to the public.”

By Wednesday, the freezer had indeed been returned.

“The council has a duty to ensure the ongoing safety of the public; it was necessary to carry out works to the freezer for health and safety reasons,” a follow-up council statement said.

Red Eight Gallery Julian Usher has since stated that the gallery has been told to take charge on safely removing the piece “while a permanent home is sought.” According to Usher, talks are ongoing about how best to do this, while the freezer is being held in storage “until it can be reunited with the art once the wall has been removed.”

The goal, for both the gallery and the property owner, is to honor the artwork’s intention of raising awareness surrounding the global issue of domestic violence.