Banking on Banksy
After graffiti artist Banksy visited the war torn West Bank, he left a trail of subversive street art behind. But the art world's huge demand for the works has become a new source of local conflict.
"I hope that Banksy is not coming back here" says Walid Zawarah, a taxi driver who first spotted a Banksy on a Bethlehem wall. The art drew on the region's conflict, and made local and international headlines. For Zawarah, the art represents a wasted financial opportunity for the local people. From the rubble of Bethlehem to the galleries of Long Island, art dealer Stephan Keszler removes, restores and then sells Banksys to a hungry art market for hundreds of thousands of dollars. Meanwhile, one Palestinian family are now fighting a legal battle after they accepted $170 for their front door, which Banksy had painted on, not realising its value was over 100 times that price. "We needed every penny. We didn't know Banksy or his art".
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