A recent animal-themed artwork Banksy created in London, which was vandalized shortly after being discovered, has been restored and will now be protected by an “anti-graffiti solution”.
The work, which shows two elephants poking their heads out of a closed window, was painted on the side of a house in Chelsea and has since been defaced with white stripes.
Council staff removed unnecessary additions and added a special coating to protect the artwork.
It is the second of nine works by Banksy to be exhibited across the capital over nine days in August.
Kensington and Chelsea Council said the liquid is specially designed not to change the appearance of the surface it is painted on.
Josh Rendall, who represents the borough where the work is located, said: “We hope residents and visitors will enjoy this piece and another of Banksy’s works on Portobello Road for many years to come.
The emergence of Banksy’s work last month prompted speculation about its meaning, if any.
Grove Gallery CEO James Ryan sells Banksy originals and prints, told BBC London that he initially thought the works “A politically charged and motivated message, so the goat – references to Palestine and Gaza, and then the wolf cries for help – some kind of persecution”.
Some of the works were removed shortly after being displayed, while one of the Howling Wolf spray-painted on a satellite dish in Peckham, south-east London, appears to have been stolen.
Two others were removed by London authorities – a cat silhouette on a Cricklewood billboard was removed for safety reasons, and a Metropolitan Police box with a painting of a piranha was moved so it could be viewed safely.
