After over a decade, Banksy’s sculpture ‘The Drinker’ was removed from the streets of London the group responsible have returned it to the same spot – as a festive gift to Banksy.
AK47, the leader of a group of underground ‘arto-political humourists’ have given the statue back to the people and to Banksy – with a few adjustments. Watch his Christmas message here:
AK47 is in charge of a group called ‘Art Kieda’, which is built on the concept of challenging people’s perceptions of art, as they carried out a series of stunts in the early 2000’s.
One of the stunts that the group have carried out include ‘kidnapping’ Tracey Emin’s neon sign, which bear the words ‘Just Love Me’ from outside the Hackney Empire in 2004.
But their most famous stunt was kidnapping Banksy’s “The Drinker” statue from a square near Shaftsbury Avenue in 2004. AK47 asked Banksy for a ransom, resulting in a journalist at the Guardian acting as hostage negotiator for the piece. Banksy eventually offered AK47 the money for petrol to burn it.
The group are currently being followed by a crew creating a documentary film about the feud “the Banksy Job”.