Banksy’s new artwork temporarily (and naughtily) defaced in France

Published on 04/06/2025 - 14:25 GMT+2

Well, that didn’t return long...  

Banksy’s newest work, a postulation bollard casting a protector of a lighthouse pinch nan words "I want to beryllium what you saw successful me" written complete it, was temporarily defaced erstwhile its location was confirmed past weekend.  

Geoguessers connected societal media turned retired to beryllium correct erstwhile they speculated that nan thoroughfare creation was located in Marseille, successful nan southbound of France. And nan city, known for its rambunctious spirit, lived up to its cheeky reputation.

The artwork was vandalized, pinch nan lighthouse and its poignant message turned into a penis pinch an added brace of testicles.  

Hardly very original, but besides not wholly surprising.

The elusive UK artist has often stated that their useful are meant to beryllium reinterpreted - even hijacked – but we’re not judge if this is what he / she / they had successful mind. 

The crudely altered lighthouse was promptly restored and sparkling again wrong 24 hours of nan purple gonad additions.  

“I tried to cleanable up immoderate of nan tags that had been made past night, because successful truth it takes a while for nan anti-graffiti varnish to really work,” explained Agnès Perrone, a practice decor painter, to AFP.  

“They waited until I went to bed, moreover very late, to travel and adhd a bully brace of bollocks astir nan lighthouse,” she said, adding: “I find it very stupid. But astatine nan aforesaid time, I'm utilized to it, I'm from Marseilles: it's a nationalist athletics to conflict tags here.” 

The artwork has been gaining traction online and galore fans person been flocking to nan passageway adjacent nan Catalans formation to respect a much intimate statement from Banksy, whose activity is usually characterised by satire aliases socio-political meaning, often addressing warfare and the pitfalls of consumerism.