A low-loader, some traffic cones and “the sort of dudes who can set up a Metallica concert in 24 hours” – this was all Banksy needed to install his latest artwork in central London.
Under the cover of darkness, the street artist erected a statue on a plinth showing a besuited man walking forward, blinded by a flag covering his face.
In a video posted to Instagram on Thursday, the artist showed glimpses of how he was able to install the plinth in the early hours of Wednesday.
Although the artwork itself would have been months in the making, the operation itself would have been swift.
You can see yellow traffic cones marking off the area as a large vehicle pulls up before deploying lorry-load stabilisers and someone in an orange hi-viz vest.
Someone with protective goggles is seen briefly before the statue is lifted on to the plinth using a hook.
As usual, its arrival has made news not just in the UK – the Western Daily Press headlined with “Banksy’s still a step ahead” – but around the world too.
Banksy podcaster James Peak added: “It’s really clever. It captures a very precise moment in time, which most statues never manage to do, where the flag’s kind of blinding this puffed up, besuited leader who’s about to step off a precipice and look very silly indeed.
Previously, some Banksy artworks, including a satellite dish, have been stolen although the sheer size of this one makes that less likely.
However, in 2004, The Drinker, a subversive take on Rodin’s The Thinker, was taken from Shaftesbury Avenue before being returned a decade later.
Others have been preserved and, occasionally, they have been exhibited in museums.
In this case, the local authority is considering its options.
A spokesperson added: “While we have taken initial steps to protect the statue, at this time it will remain accessible for the public to view and enjoy.”
