Banksy is an anonymous street artist known for disruptive graffiti and guerrilla installations that critique nationalism, globalization, and consumerism. The document discusses applying philosophical concepts like Derrida's theories of hospitality and forgiveness, Said's idea of exile, and Conley's notion of "chaosmopolis" to understand Banksy's work. It focuses on how Banksy's anonymity and satirical style relate to these ideas and create temporary spaces for political commentary through unexpected interventions in the urban environment.

1. Banksy; The
Faceless Artist of
The Disruptive
Walls.

2. “
“I am probably not the only
one who writes in order to be
faceless. Don’t ask who I am,
or tell me to stay the same”
Foucault
2

3. 3

4. 4
Banksy’s street art takes over cities by a chaotic, spray-paint storm
that disrupt nationalism, hegemony, institutionalized art, globalization
and consumerism. Outside and Inside!!?
Using the following concepts: Derrida’s hospitality and forgiveness,
Said’s exile, Todd’s agonism and Conley’s chaosmopolis, I identify
Banksy as both a guest and a host of the walls and the cities they
recreate. Their art is an invasion of the spaces that leaves them exiled, a
homeless in search of a new home and a new host to help them exists.

5. FOCUS
QUESTIONS
5

6. 6
- How do Banksy’s anonymous character and dark humor
street art fall into Derrida’s theory of absolute hospitality and
forgiveness when they take over cities?
-Is Banksy trying to create a cosmopolitan world or are they
criticizing the concept by creating temporary locations? What
do they stand for?
- How does satire and dark humor get into a conversation
about Agonism, chaos and disharmony?
- Has Banksy became An exiled city?

7. 7

8. ARGUMENT:
8

9. 9
1- Banksy; the Gotham of art:
It’s unknown who Banksy really is, and I don’t think that should
really matter, however others call them self Banksy hunters
might disagree.
Banksy is there for all of us, writers and artists who want to be
faceless, an illusive identity. He made the decision a long time
ago to not be, to exist only through what he leaves behind.
He is a person who became chaos, and I’ll make my argument
about how this activist became a walking city of chaoetic
interventions and disturbance?

10. 10

11. 11
2- Banksy; the faceless guest of the Derrida’s home;
Banksy’s art invade spaces. He is an uninvited guest in
Derrida’s home. Banksy doesn’t ask these spaces for a
permission before entering. He isn’t looking for hospitality, his
demanding its absolute.
he takes ownership of the cities’ wall to provoke their peaceful
residents who thought they could hide behind these walls from
the rest of the troubles of the world.
Banksy is British by nationality however he exiled himself to
belong nowhere in the world except temporarily on the walls of
the cities.

12. 12

13. 13
3- The agonism in Banksy’s work:
Banksy’s character is nonexistent in his work, the only thing
that is actually is left is his disruptive print on space.
By creating real life sized figures, he adds them to the space to
disturb it.This distribution gives voices to those who aren’t
there to shout. Banksy creates chaos in a polis. Here I argue
how satire and dark humor becomes an agonistic tool to create
chaos.

14. 14

15. 15
4- Forgiveness in Banksy:
Derridian impossibility of forgiveness is a theme in Banksy’s
work especially his latest about Balfour’s promise “Er Sorry”,
I plan to explore that case more in my paper.

16. 16

17. 17