a Banksy artwork that appeared on the side of a terraced house last month has now been carefully cut out of the wall and removed by a mechanical excavator.
Dubbed ‘The Valentine’s Day Mascara’, the mural at an estate in Margate, Kent shows a 1950s-style housewife shoving her abusive husband into a discarded freezer.
The entire wall containing the mural – which appeared Feb. 14 – was removed from the side of the house on Thursday, exposing part of the home’s interior and missing a huge piece.
Banksy had confirmed it was his work Instagram.
The building was held securely in a custom frame and the artwork – believed to be worth millions – was carefully removed using a mechanical excavator.
The entire wall with the mural was removed from the side of the house in the popular seaside town of Kent on Thursday
The building was held securely in a custom wooden frame and the artwork – thought to be worth millions – was carefully removed using a mechanical excavator
Dubbed “The Valentine’s Day Mascara,” the mural depicts a 1950s-style housewife shoving her abusive husband into a discarded freezer. It appeared on the property’s wall on Valentine’s Day — and Banksy confirmed it was his on Instagram
Once removed, the piece is placed between two steel plates and taken to a conservationist in nearby Faversham.
A team will make the art stable and secure, then design a stand before transporting it back to Margate to its new home in Dreamland.
London-based Red Eight Gallery, which removed the freezer last month to save it, is handling the high-quality work.
Gallery contractors were seen using a forklift to remove the wall holding the artwork – nearly seven weeks after the saga began.
Its removal is the final step of a “complicated” process they worked on to keep the mural safe.
The surgery involved shoring up the house while the piece was cut and removed, prior to its move to Dreamland, where it will be available to the public.
Julian Usher, CEO of Red Eight Gallery, said: ‘It will be in Dreamland for at least 12 months, but we try to keep it there for three years.
‘There is a lot of interest in the work of many different parties.’
The piece has been taken to an art conservator and will then be returned to just 300 meters from its original home – where it will be placed in the Dreamland theme park in Margate and displayed for the next 12 months.
Once removed, the piece is placed between two steel plates and taken to a conservationist in nearby Faversham
When the entire wall was removed, the inside of the house was left exposed and a huge piece was missing
The homeowner made it clear that they wanted the artwork to remain in the area for locals to enjoy.
The mural is owned by London-based Red Eight Galleries.
The appearance of Banksy’s piece sparked a long saga, with hordes flocking to the unassuming residential street.
It’s had a controversial history, with Thanet city officials repeatedly removing the mural’s freezer for security reasons — but the piece now appears to have a happy ending.
The value of the piece cannot yet be confirmed, but is estimated at several million pounds.
The appearance of Banksy’s piece sparked a long saga, with hordes flocking to the humble residential street
Polla Maria Oberscziam, who lives in the building, stands in her doorway. The value of the piece cannot yet be confirmed, but is estimated at several million pounds
A statement from Red Eight Gallery and Dreamland Margate said: ‘Banksy’s artwork Valentine’s Day Mascara was today removed from its original location by a skilled team of professionals and taken to an art conservator in Faversham.
There it will be prepared for its final installation at Dreamland Margate, where it will be on public display.
‘The date of the unveiling at Dreamland will be announced in due course.
“Julian Usher of Red Eight Gallery and Eddie Kemsley of Dreamland are delighted to have been able to help the current owner of the artwork fulfill their dreams for it and look forward to unveiling it in its new home in Dreamland.”