Banksy on the Rijksmuseum; #WithSyria campaign
World-renowned graffiti artist Banksy made a special installation calling attention to the Syrian Crisis, which was projected onto the Rijksmuseum on Thursday. At the same time, the piece was also projected onto the Eiffel Tower, the Sydney Opera House and Red Square in Moscow. People could view the art piece for several hours, on monuments around the world. The Lincoln Memorial in Washington, Trafalgar Square in London, and Zaatari, the biggest Syrian refugee camp in Jordan, also projected the Banksy piece.
The projection was aimed at raising awareness with national aid organizations for the situation in Syria. It is a call to international communities to find a humanitarian solution for the conflict in Syria. On Saturday, it will be three years since the Syrian people rose in protest of the government.
The world famous artist especially modified his famous piece depicting a girl holding on to the string of a heart-shaped balloon for the occasion. The girl wore a head scarf and different clothing. The image was projected at 7:30 p.m. on the face of the Rijksmuseum on Thursday evening, at the side of the Museumplein. The mysterious British graffiti artist rarely collaborates with specific causes, but according to the spokesperson for Amnesty International, the Syrian Civil War hits a nerve with Banksy. "He really gets a lot of requests, but he never actually does it. The clashes in Syria touch him especially." Banksy's work is a combination of graffiti and painting, and has been appearing mysteriously on walls throughout the world. The true identity of the street artist is still unknown. His artworks are sporadically auctioned off and make a lot of money. A wall with a Banksy painting on it sold for $209,000 in December last year.
