Banksy: Bike replaced in front of artist’s hula-hooping girl mural in Nottingham
Written by News on 23/11/2020
An apparently abandoned bicycle which formed part of a Banksy mural depicting a girl hula-hooping with one of its wheels has been taken away and replaced in Nottingham.
The artwork appeared on the side of a property at Rothesay Avenue and Ilkestone Road in Lenton on 13 October, and residents have been posing for photos next to it since.
The original bike, which was locked to a lamp post, was on the pavement in front of the image, which shows a young girl playing with a wheel.
But over the weekend, people noticed that it had disappeared.
Maisie Garbin, 20, a student at the University of Nottingham, said she believes it was taken on Saturday.
She told Nottinghamshire Live on Sunday: “I think it went yesterday as I saw it on Twitter. It was done for community spirit so for someone to do that it is really sad.”
But Twitter user and local journalist @NewsMutt reported that the bike has now been replaced with another: “It was gone and now it’s back. The #Banksy bike. Except that it’s a different bike! #Nottingham.”
The council protected the mural with plastic sheeting after it was targeted with spray paint.
They told Sky News the first bike wasn’t stolen but had been “retained for safekeeping by the owner of the property”.
Banksy has not yet responded to a request for a comment.
Nottingham has a long history with bicycles after the brand Raleigh was established in the city in 1887.
(c) Sky News 2020: Banksy: Bike replaced in front of artist’s hula-hooping girl mural in Nottingham
