Controversial Banksy freezer taken away from Margate artwork for second time
The fast-moving farce involving a fly-tipped fridge freezer at the Margate Banksy has taken another turn - as it was removed for a second time.
Residents living nearby reported seeing a group of men loading the freezer into a van late last night.
A new fridge-freezer has been put in front of the Banksy artwork in Margate on Thursday.
The item appears to be trying to replace the original freezer, which formed part of the Valentine’s Day Mascara mural and had been removed for a second time.
Fans visiting the piece of art on Park Place found the freezer nowhere to be seen when they arrived this morning (Thursday 16 February), despite it being returned by Thanet District Council yesterday.
The authority came under fire after abruptly removing the kitchen appliance on health and safety grounds, just hours after Banksy confirmed the artwork was his on Tuesday.
Council operatives put the freezer in storage and returned it to its original position on Wednesday after making it safe.
Watch the moment council workers returned the freezer to the mural
A spokesperson told ITV Meridian: "The council has a duty to ensure the ongoing safety of the public; it was necessary to carry out works to the freezer for health and safety reasons.""Banksy raises the important issue of domestic abuse in this artwork.
"We are in touch with the owner of the property to understand their intentions around the preservation of the piece and to secure the best possible outcome for the local community and victims of domestic abuse."
The mural, Valentine's Day Mascara, has been given a top valuation of £2million by one Banksy expert, but only with the freezer included as part of the piece.
It depicts a 1950's housewife with a swollen eye, who has seemingly disposed of her abusive partner, with his legs hanging out of the freezer in graffiti. It's an acknowledgement from the anonymous artist of domestic violence and appeared on the side of a private property near Margate Fire Station on Monday morning.
Julian Usher, CEO of Red Eight Galleries, explains how he got involved with the Margate Banksy
The owner of the property called in a London-based gallery to help preserve the artwork - who has installed a Perspex screen over the graffiti worth thousands of pounds, and hired security guards to protect it around the clock.
It's understood the fridge has been taken back into storage for safe keeping, this time by the gallery, because of rising costs in protecting the site, and to preserve the artwork.
Speaking exclusively to ITV News Meridian, Julian Usher, CEO of Red Eight Galleries, said:
"The only reason we're taking it away is purely from a security perspective. We can't have 24-hour security guards standing there, they were there until the Perspex was put up."
Julian Usher explaining why they've removed the famous freezer to protect the artwork
He added: "Now that's up that'll protect the piece, hopefully, from vandals or anyone marking or tagging the wall. The chest freezer is now back into storage and then we're looking into, with the owner, what they want to do with it ultimately.
"Whether we can find something just to replace it in the meantime, which doesn't matter if it goes missing, that is what we're still looking into."
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