Banksy’s classic canvas piece, Devolved Parliament, has gone back on display in Bristol, just in time for the original Brexit deadline of March 29 (now April 12). The work originally appeared at the Bristol Museum & Art Gallery in 2009, as part of the Banksy vs Bristol Museum exhibition, and it depicts politicians in the House of Commons as chimpanzees.
Devolved Parliament was eventually purchased by an unnamed collector, and has loaned it to the museum to mark a decade since its first unveiling. According to the Bristol Museum & Art Gallery, it will be on display for five months.
Bristol Museum trustee Yoma Smith also spoke to BBC News, stating the relevance of the artwork. “It was great then and it’s great now,” she said. “Ten years on, it’s so much more relevant now than as it was then. Is Banksy a visionary? Did he paint it thinking it would happen?”
Speaking at the time of the exhibition, Banksy said, “This show is my vision of the future, to which many people will say ‘you should have gone to Specsavers’.” Additionally, Banksy took to social media, announcing the return of his piece and noted, “Laugh now, but one day no-one will be in charge,” a nod to his 2001 piece, Laugh Now.
Banksy’s Devolved Parliament is on display once again at the Bristol Museum & Art Gallery. Admission is free. Head over to the museum’s website now for additional details.
Bristol Museum & Art Gallery
Queens Rd, Bristol BS8 1RL
United Kingdom
