A Banksy artwork that has been dismantled several times since it appeared in Margate this week is to be moved permanently to the town’s Dreamland theme park.
The mural, titled Valentine’s Day Mascara, appears to be about domestic abuse and fighting violence against women. It depicts a caricature of a 1950s housewife, wearing a blue pini and yellow washing gloves, with a swollen eye and a missing tooth, who appears to be pushing her partner into a freezer.
An actual freezer embedded in the piece was removed twice after the artwork was discovered in Kent on Tuesday.
Margate’s Dreamland amusement park will now house the track so it remains “accessible to everyone who wants to come and enjoy it”.
A statement shared by Dreamland Margate on Twitter said: “We are delighted to have been asked to host Margate’s Banksy, allowing the artwork to remain in the town and accessible to all who wish to come and enjoy it for the foreseeable future.
“When everything is finalized we will let you all know.”
We're thrilled to have been asked to host Margate's Banksy, enabling the artwork to remain in the town and accessible to all those who want to come and enjoy it for the foreseeable future. When everything has been finalised we'll let you all know. pic.twitter.com/rTUFC5axYA
— Dreamland Margate (@DreamlandMarg) February 17, 2023
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We are delighted to have been asked to host Margate’s Banksy, allowing the artwork to remain in the town and accessible to all who wish to come and enjoy it for the foreseeable future. When everything is finalized we will let you all know. pic.twitter.com/rTUFC5axYA
— Dreamland Margate (@DreamlandMarg) February 17, 2023
On Tuesday, the freezer was removed by a local council “for safety reasons”. A broken garden chair, blue cage and empty beer bottle next to the picture were also removed.
All the pieces have since been returned by Thanet District Council, which said on Wednesday it was in contact with the owner of the property to discuss ways to preserve the piece.
But on Thursday, the Red Eight Gallery in London removed the freezer for a second time and said it was being stored with permission from the home owner, before a permanent home was found for the entire work.
The gallery’s chief executive, Julian Usher, previously told the PA news agency that the homeowner said he wanted to benefit a local charity that supports the prevention of domestic abuse against women, with the piece being used to raise awareness. in Margate and nationally. .
The elusive street artist confirmed he was behind the artwork by sharing a series of photos of the piece on his Instagram account on Tuesday.
After the artwork was initially dismantled, North Thanet MP Sir Roger Gale, whose constituency includes Margate, told the PA: “I think it’s an extremely impressive and extremely clever piece of art.
“And I hope and believe that it can and should be preserved and safely exhibited so that as many people as possible can see it.”