Banksy, the phenomenon, has been putting the art scene in turmoil since the early 2000s. In late 2013, the unknown street artist took up residence in New York City for a month, during which time he entertained the entire metropolis with his whimsical actions. A sphinx made of cement, a truck with moving puppet animals - cleverly positioned in front of meat corporations -, a painting sale in Central Park for $60 each, a man dressed as a Nazi in a thrift store: in October 2013, the individual parts came together to form Banksy's complete work, the Better Out Than In project. Every day, he let a new work of art popping up at a random place in New York, without announcing beforehand where it was to be and what he intended to do.
Directed by Christ Moukarbel, the documentary Banksy Does New York (2014, HBO) was created in this way, which the streaming provider Amazon Prime has ready for the quiet time between Christmas and New Year's Eve. Anyone who can't wait for the art world to awaken from hibernation in the new year shouldn't miss the documentary, in which the great unknown named Banksy can be tangibly witnessed. Among other things, the film thrives on YouTube videos and media recordings that retell the moment of surprise among onlookers that the artist's skillful self-dramatization evoked.
