World's largest touring Banksy exhibition arrives in Salford

Granada Reports' Emma Sweeney was live at the exhibition on Thursday.

The world's largest touring collection of authenticated and unique Banksy artworks has arrived in Salford.

The Art of Banksy exhibition features 145 pieces by the elusive artist, which have been loaned by private collectors.

It opens at Media City on 21 October 2022 in a specially built 1,200 square metre temporary structure and is an overview of Banksy's work from 2002 to 2017.

Who is Banksy?

Banksy is a street artist whose works often make strong political statements and have appeared all over the world.

His work is usually shrouded in mystery, and his identity has never been confirmed by the artist.

Once artworks appear, Banksy usually lays claim to them via his official Instagram page.

We know Banksy was born in Bristol, but beyond that, little else is known about him.

If you are a fan, this exhibition is one you won't want to miss. Here are some of Banksy's works you can expect to see.

• Flower Thrower

• Brace Yourself

• Soup Can

• Other works from the gallery

A recent poll ranked Banksy's 'Girl with Balloon' as the United Kingdom's favourite piece of artwork.

Time Magazine has previously included Banksy in its list of the world’s 100 most influential people alongside Barack Obama, Stella McCartney and Steve Jobs.

Banksy's history of pranks has also added to his reputation.

His most high profile was the secret installation of a shredder into 'Girl With Balloon' to make the work self-destruct just moments after it was sold at auction.

The work is now known as 'Love in the Bin'.

One of Banksy's biggest ever murals was the 'White House Rat' which was on the wall of a pub in Liverpool for over a decade.

It went up for auction in 2021 after being lifted off the building by a crane and transferred to the Netherlands.

The Art of Banksy Exhibition has already travelled to Melbourne, Melbourne, Chicago, San Francisco, Sydney, Washington DC, Boston, Tel Aviv, Auckland, Toronto, Miami, Gothenburg and London.

The exhibition will be at Media City in Salford until January 2023.

Listen to ITV News' entertainment podcast, Unscripted.