An unusual new housewares “store” called Gross Domestic Product opened overnight in the south London town of Croyd0n. Turns out Banksy has now confirmed that the elaborate art installation is his, an attempt to hold off a greeting card company from seizing legal custody of his name by creating his own range of merchandise. The showroom on view for two weeks and featuring its own security guards will never open its doors, with all eventual sales being conducted online. No word yet on exactly what, when, or how much, but on display are a range of products and art (ie: Tony the Tiger sacrificed as a rug with rotting teeth, a CCTV mobile hanging above and monitoring a crib, the stab-and-bullet-proof vest he made for Stormzy, a children’s playset for loading migrants onto a truck).
More info on Colossal – “welcome mats, which Banksy hired refugees in Greek detainment camps to stitch; all proceeds go back to the refugees. Revenue from sales of the doll sets will also support the purchase of a replacement boat for activist Pia Klemp, whose boat was confiscated by the Italian government. The product line is rounded out with such oddities as disco balls made from riot gear helmets, handbags made of bricks, and signed—and partially used—£10 spray paint cans.”
