Photo: banksy/Instagram

New Banksy Art Promoting Mask-Wearing Appears in the London Underground

News Art + Architecture
by Eben Diskin Jul 14, 2020

Banksy, the famous British street artist, is known for his discretion and how his artwork suddenly appears in public places seemingly out of nowhere. Today, he posted a behind-the-scenes video on his Instagram to give some insight into the process of his latest work.

Along with many subway systems around the world, the London Underground is undergoing deep cleans to give travelers peace of mind during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the video, Banksy — or someone acting on his behalf — appears to be in the London Underground disguised as a cleaning crew member, stenciling playful rats onto the walls and doors of the train.

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. . If you don’t mask – you don’t get.

A post shared by Banksy (@banksy) on

Of course, the rats, like us, are in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, so they’re wearing masks, sneezing with flourish, and carrying hand sanitizer. Banksy’s caption on Instagram is “If you don’t mask — you don’t get” in an attempt to convince people to follow the rules and protect themselves and their fellow commuters.

In the video, the train is relatively empty, but a few passengers appear intrigued by the art. He even seems to shoo away one onlooker, so he can continue his work in relative privacy.

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