Graffiti artist Banksy makes great pets

While we’re bummed out that the British graffiti artist and self-proclaimed art terrorist Banksy‘s latest NYC exhibit closed on Halloween night, we’re psyched that it’s still online. So if you haven’t seen this odd and curious yet amazing display, visit The Village Pet Store and Charcoal Grill. Located at 89 Seventh Avenue South, Banksy staged a bunch of animatronic “pets” including baby chicken nuggets, swimming fish sticks, squirming Italian breakfast sausages and more. We especially loved the leopard cat/coat sitting in the tree.

Take a look at some footage we shot last weekend:

From Floriane PIC on Vimeo. Music by Radio Citizen – The Hop (feat. Bajka)

New Yorkers don’t care about art, they care about pets. So I’m exhibiting them instead. I wanted to make art that questioned our relationship with animals and the ethics and sustainability of factory farming, but it ended up as chicken nuggets singing. I took all the money I made exploiting an animal in my last show and used it to fund a new show about the exploitation of animals. If its art and you can see it from the street, I guess it could still be considered street art.”
-Banksy

For those of you not familiar with this extremely creative and controversial artist, his artwork–most notably his graffiti writing and distinctive stenciling technique–touches on topics such as politics, war, culture and ethics. You can learn more about Banksy on his site, and we look forward to seeing him continue to use our city as his canvas.