London.- The mystery surrounding Banksy’s series of animals painted on the streets of London appears to have been revealed with the appearance on Tuesday of a gorilla freeing other species in captivity at the gates of the zoo in the British capital.
The famous graffiti artist, whose identity remains a mystery, has sparked speculation about his intentions by posting animal silhouettes on different walls around the city every day since August 5.
As with his previous works, Banksy claimed the piece on Instagram: a gorilla lifting a painted canvas over a metal fence at the entrance to the zoo.
Birds and a seal emerge from beneath the tarp, seemingly escaping from the park, which is home to more than 10,000 animals, while several pairs of eyes glow in the darkness.
“My husband thinks he’s freeing the animals,” said Sharmela Darne, a 50-year-old doctor who visited the zoo, fascinated by the “slightly uncertain” eyes visible beneath the tarp.
“Maybe it’s about freedom and uncertainty in the face of freedom,” he added.
The work appears to explain the origin of the animals that appeared over nine days and, according to the BBC, which cited Banksy’s team, the gorilla image is the final piece in a series that began with a goat painted on a facade in the Richmond neighborhood.
This graffiti was followed by monkeys hanging from a railway bridge, a pair of elephants, pelicans feasting on fish, a wolf howling at the moon, a cat stretching out on a billboard, a group of piranhas in a police booth and a rhinoceros that appears to be climbing on an abandoned car.
These appearances have sparked multiple theories about the artist’s message, which is committed to causes such as the defence of refugees or awareness campaigns on climate change.
Staff at London Zoo were delighted to discover that Banksy’s latest mural had been painted on their doorstep, with passers-by flocking to admire it and take photos.
“He’s put a smile on a lot of people’s faces this morning,” said park media officer Rebecca Blanchard.
Blanchard added that the piece could be the “grand finale” of what she described as an “incredible series celebrating animals.”
“Who knows? If it’s the end, then what a beautiful ending!” said Karl Penman, one of the zoo’s managers.
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