How Did Banksy Install A Giant Statue Overnight In London? Secret Revealed

Banksy, the mysterious street artist, has caught social media's attention yet again after installing a large statue in central London's Waterloo Palace, an area designed to celebrate imperialism and military dominance in the 1800s. Depicting a suited man walking forward off a plinth while carrying a flag that covers his face, the artwork, carrying his signature, sits near statues of Edward VII, Florence Nightingale and the Crimean War Memorial. After the statue appeared overnight, social media users were confused as to how such a significant artwork was erected in a high-traffic public square without being noticed.

In a video posted on Instagram on Thursday (Apr 30), the artist showed glimpses of how he was able to install the supporting base for the statue. Although the artwork itself would have taken months to create, the operation to install it may have been completed in a few minutes.

In the now-viral clip, yellow traffic cones can be seen marking off the area as heavy vehicles pull around to place the pre-fabricated plinth. An individual wearing protective googles makes a brief appearance before the statue is lifted on the plinth using a hook. According to a BBC report, the crew installing the artwork comprised of 'dudes who can set up a Metallica concert in 24 hours'.

"They've probably surveilled the area, worked out what happens when, gone in the early hours with a low-loader truck and they probably sited it in a few minutes, at the quietest time possible," a Banksy expert was quoted as saying by the publication.

Check The Viral Clip Here:

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Who Is Banksy?

Banksy's politically themed street art has made him a celebrity across the globe. However, despite his popularity, his true identity has never been confirmed. In March, a team of journalists at Reuters linked the identity of Banksy to a man named Robin Gunningham, a British artist from Bristol who later changed his name to David Jones.

The publication pieced together evidence of Banksy's identity by tracing his trip to Ukraine, where he was photographed and met with residents and analysing his fallout with Jamaican photographer Peter Dean Rickards. A critical piece of the puzzle was a 2000 New York arrest record, which included a signed, handwritten confession under the name Robin Gunningham.

The theory that Banksy and Gunningham are the same man receives credence from a previous BBC interview. While promoting the opening of his "Turf War" show in East London in 2003, Banksy told the outlet that his first name was "Robbie".