Fernando Botero harsh on Banksy: his action is not art, it's entertainment

In an interview in the Spanish newspaper El Mundo, the famous artist Fernando Botero(here is an in-depth article of ours on his art) expressed a very harsh judgment on Banksy’s art. The occasion for the interview was the now famous action by which the British street artist destroyed one of his works at auction: for Botero, the performance “has nothing to do with art, it’s a circus, an entertainment. It is a good story to tell in the newspapers but it is not art.”

To the journalist, Luis Alemany’s observation that Banksy’s action has led many people to view the art market with dislike, Botero replied, “What can I tell you? I am not shocked that a good work of art costs 400 million [sic]. Today there are such large fortunes that 400 million is spent on a toy. And it’s a good thing that some works cost 400 million, otherwise a billionaire from Palo Alto might come along and buy the whole Louvre. The problem is that fortunes are being paid for mediocre works and people wonder why. It’s a game between investors that has nothing to do with what the artist does.”

Pictured: Fernando Botero. Ph. Credit

Fernando Botero harsh on Banksy: his action is not art, it's entertainment

Warning: the translation into English of the original Italian article was created using automatic tools. We undertake to review all articles, but we do not guarantee the total absence of inaccuracies in the translation due to the program. You can find the original by clicking on the ITA button. If you find any mistake,please contact us.