BANKSY EXHIBITIONS AND PRANKS // BETTER OUT THAN IN, NEW YORK, 2013

  • In October 2013, Banksy staged one of his most ambitious projects to date with Better Out Than In, a month-long...
    Poster for Banksy, Better Out Than In, New York City, October 2013.
    © Banksy. Reproduced for educational purposes only.
    In October 2013, Banksy staged one of his most ambitious projects to date with Better Out Than In, a month-long residency on the streets of New York. For thirty-one days, the artist unveiled a new work each day across the city, ranging from stencils and street sculpture to video installations and performance pieces. Each artwork was accompanied by a dedicated audio guide accessed through a toll-free number, parodying the traditional museum experience while positioning the city itself as the gallery.
     
    The title references Paul Cézanne’s belief that works painted outdoors surpass those created in studios, a sentiment that perfectly encapsulates Banksy’s approach. Highlights included The Street Is in Play, a stencil of two children reaching for a spray can hidden inside a “Graffiti Is a Crime” sign, which disappeared within 24 hours of its creation. Banksy also gave a rare interview to The Village Voice ahead of the project, describing the show as “an artist’s residency on the streets of New York” and reaffirming his commitment to bringing art directly to the public.
    Enquire

  • “New York calls to graffiti writers like a dirty old lighthouse. We all want to prove ourselves here.”

    – Banksy

    Banksy’s Better Out Than In turned New York City into a month-long treasure hunt in October 2013. Every day, a new artwork appeared without warning in an unexpected corner of the city — from a truck filled with stuffed animals (“Sirens of the Lambs”) to stencil interventions that vanished almost as quickly as they appeared. Crowds of locals, tourists, and art collectors scrambled daily to track down the works, sparking a media frenzy and making the residency feel part street performance, part social experiment.
    By using the entire city as his canvas, Banksy forced New Yorkers to question who controls public space and what qualifies as art. The toll-free audio guide added a satirical twist, poking fun at the art world’s obsession with labels, context, and interpretation. More than just an exhibition, Better Out Than In became a cultural event that embodied Banksy’s ability to blend mischief with meaning.
    • Banksy Girl With Baloon

      SIGNED EDITIONS

    • Banksy Show Me The Monet 2005

      ORIGINAL WORKS

    • Banksy's mural of a rhinoceros on a car

      STREET WORKS