Banksy: Row as Season’s Greetings mural moved from Wales to England

Artwork was first discovered in 2018

The decision to move a Banksy mural from Wales to England has sparked a disagreement over who is responsible.

Entitled “Season’s Greetings”, the artwork was disovered on the side of a steelworker’s garage in Port Talbot in 2018.

The local council recently announced that the artwork would be transported out of the Welsh town, however, to be displayed as part of an exhibition in Peterborough.

Owner John Brandler said (per BBC News) that the decision to relinquish the mural had been “forced upon him” at the behest of the council.

The artwork encompasses two sides of a garage wall, and depicts a child surrounded by what appears to be falling snow on one side, with a fire emitting ash on the other.

Brandler paid a “six-figure sum” to acquire the artwork in 2019, with the mural being moved to a vacant shop in Ty’r Orsaf at the expense of the Welsh government, where it could be viewed by the public.

On Thursday (18 November), a spokesperson for Neath Port Talbot council said the artwork would be leaving the town, with the arrangement to display it in the Pobl shop set to end on 14 January.

“The future of Seasons Greetings is now, of course, a matter for Mr Brandler,” said the spokesperson.

However, Brandler said (also per BBC News) that he had been instructed to remove the artwork by the council, due to the “demand for commercial space” in the area.

He said he has “no objection” to leaving it in the town.

“Whether the Banksy leaves Wales and goes to Peterborough, or several other locations, who have expressed the desire to have it, the decision has been forced upon me by the council,” he claimed.

“I didn’t instigate the removal of the Banksy, the council did and I wish them the best success for the town in the commercial space.”