In the days leading up to Christmas, the street artist Banksy once again broke into the London public space with the appearance of two identical murals, which once again put the debate on social inequality and the housing crisis in the British capital back in the spotlight.
The works show two children lying on the sidewalk, wrapped in winter clothing and looking up at the sky while pointing with their fingers. The images appeared almost simultaneously at two points about 5 kilometers apart: at the foot of the Centre Point building near Tottenham Court Road tube station, in the heart of London, and on a row of garages in Queen’s Mews, in the Bayswater area, to the west of the city.
The confirmation came through the official Instagram account of the anonymous artist, followed by more than 13.7 million users. In May, he intervened in the French city of Marseille with the image of a bollard whose shadow transformed into a lighthouse, accompanied by a reflective phrase.
The appearance of the murals generated a rapid influx of visitors to the intervened areas and reignited the debate on the preservation of urban art. Specialists warn that public exposure turns these pieces into frequent targets of vandalism or removal, as has happened on other occasions with works by Banksy himself.
In the midst of the festive season, the new murals serve as a reminder of the social tensions that coexist with the celebration.
The scene of the children looking at the sky admits multiple readings. In the Christmas context, some passersby interpret the image as an allusion to the childish illusion associated with Santa Claus. Other observers, however, see in it a cruder reference to unprotected childhood and social exclusion.
This action is part of a recent production marked by criticism of social inequalities and political episodes. In September, the artist created a mural at the Royal Justice Court that depicted a judge hitting a protester, a work that was later blocked by local authorities.
Artist Daniel Lloyd-Morgan told the BBC that many people pass by the mural without stopping to reflect on its meaning, a gesture that, he said, replicates the daily indifference towards those who sleep on the street.
Banksy rarely repeats the same image in different parts of a city, which reinforces the exceptional nature of this double intervention. According to official figures, more than 10,000 people spend the night in shelters or on the streets in London.
