Century 21 cancels Banksy show after graffiti artist disses World Trade Center
The retailer was supposed to be showcasing the British artist’s artwork at its flagship store on Tuesday through Nov. 6 — but comments calling the WTC a ‘disaster’ is not sitting well with the store that sits in the shadow of Freedom Tower.
Comments (20)By Reuven Blau AND Corky Siemaszko / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Monday, October 28, 2013, 12:38 PM
Carolina Hidalgo FREELANCE NYDN/Freelance
Century 21 had planned a Banksy exhibit at its flagship store in the shadow of the 104-story building.
Century 21 has given Banksy the boot.
The famed downtown clothing emporium canceled a planned exhibit by the hype-driven graffiti artist after he dissed the design of 1 World Trade Center as a "disaster" that "looks like something they would build in Canada."
"Due to the recent controversial comments from Banksy on WTC, C21 has just decided to cancel the exhibit," store spokeswoman Lindsey Kopp emailed Monday. "Sorry for the last-minute notice."
RELATED: BANKSY DISSES 1 WTC AS ‘CANADIAN,’ ‘VANILLA’
The retailer was supposed to be showcasing Banksy's work at its flagship store Tuesday through Nov. 6.
Kopp didn't elaborate on the store's decision, but it's no surprise that the folks who own Century 21 might be sensitive about Banksy's bashing what for many New Yorkers is a 104-story symbol of the city's revival.
Century 21 sits right across the street from the WTC site and was damaged during the 9/11 attacks. When the store reopened in March 2002, it was hailed as proof that downtown was rising from the near-dead.
BANKSY BLOG
There was no immediate response from Banksy. But it could be just a matter of time before he goes after the store.
After the New York Times passed on publishing his take-down of the tower that he wound up posting Sunday on his web site, the famous tagger vented on the side of a building in the Greenpoint section of Brooklyn.
"This site contains blocked messages," a white stenciled graffito on a gray brick wall at Noble and West Sts. said.
PHOTOS: BANKSY IN NEW YORK CITY: 'BETTER OUT THAN IN'
Banksy fever was all the rage until the Brit sprayed himself in the foot by slamming what he called the "shyscraper."
"It would be easy to view One World Trade Centre as a betrayal of everyone who lost their lives on September 11th, because it so clearly proclaims the terrorists won," he wrote - with British spellings - on his website.
"You currently have under construction a one thousand foot tall sign that reads - New York - we lost our nerve," he wrote.
RELATED: BANKSY ON THE BOWERY: ARTIST DEBUTS SPOOKY GRIM REAPER
"The attacks of September 11th were an attack on all of us and we will live our lives in their shadow. But it's also how we react to adversity that defines us. And the response? 104 floors of compromise?"
Family members who lost loved ones on Sept. 11 were left fuming.
"He's insulting to everybody in New York, especially people that died that day," said retired FDNY Deputy Chief Jim Riches, who lost his firefighter son, Jimmy, in the terror attacks.
RELATED: RED HOOK KIDS PITCH IN TO HELP BANKSY
Located at the northwest corner of the 16-acre site, One World Trade Center is topped with a spire that will reach the symbolic height of 1,776 feet upon completion next year.
Banksy, an elusive artist whose true identity is known only to his inner circle, has been spray-painting new pieces across the city every day during his month long residency.
This was not the first time Banksy touched on the Sept. 11 terror attacks.
Earlier, he drew a stenciled outline of the New York skyline with the World Trade Center and an orange silk daisy near where the planes struck on 9/11.
csiemaszko@nydailynews.com
The famed downtown clothing emporium canceled a planned exhibit by the hype-driven graffiti artist after he dissed the design of 1 World Trade Center as a "disaster" that "looks like something they would build in Canada."
"Due to the recent controversial comments from Banksy on WTC, C21 has just decided to cancel the exhibit," store spokeswoman Lindsey Kopp emailed Monday. "Sorry for the last-minute notice."
RELATED: BANKSY DISSES 1 WTC AS ‘CANADIAN,’ ‘VANILLA’
EDUARDO MUNOZ/REUTERS
A woman takes a picture of an artwork by British graffiti artist Banksy at Lower Manhattan in New York City.
Kopp didn't elaborate on the store's decision, but it's no surprise that the folks who own Century 21 might be sensitive about Banksy's bashing what for many New Yorkers is a 104-story symbol of the city's revival.
Century 21 sits right across the street from the WTC site and was damaged during the 9/11 attacks. When the store reopened in March 2002, it was hailed as proof that downtown was rising from the near-dead.
BANKSY BLOG
LOUIS LANZANO/AP
Banksy has not responded to Century 21's snub — but a response may be in the works.
"This site contains blocked messages," a white stenciled graffito on a gray brick wall at Noble and West Sts. said.
PHOTOS: BANKSY IN NEW YORK CITY: 'BETTER OUT THAN IN'
PETER MORGAN/REUTERS
Century 21, seen across the street from the World Trade Center in in this Sept. 11, 2001, file photo, is not amused by Banksy's comments.
"It would be easy to view One World Trade Centre as a betrayal of everyone who lost their lives on September 11th, because it so clearly proclaims the terrorists won," he wrote - with British spellings - on his website.
"You currently have under construction a one thousand foot tall sign that reads - New York - we lost our nerve," he wrote.
RELATED: BANKSY ON THE BOWERY: ARTIST DEBUTS SPOOKY GRIM REAPER
Mark Bonifacio/New York Daily News
The British artist has called 1 World Trade Center a 'disaster' that 'looks like something they would build in Canada.'
Family members who lost loved ones on Sept. 11 were left fuming.
"He's insulting to everybody in New York, especially people that died that day," said retired FDNY Deputy Chief Jim Riches, who lost his firefighter son, Jimmy, in the terror attacks.
RELATED: RED HOOK KIDS PITCH IN TO HELP BANKSY
JASON SZENES/EPA
The orange daisy marks where the tower was struck in Banksy’s tribute the Twin Towers. The artist is less of a fan of the new tower, however.
Banksy, an elusive artist whose true identity is known only to his inner circle, has been spray-painting new pieces across the city every day during his month long residency.
This was not the first time Banksy touched on the Sept. 11 terror attacks.
Earlier, he drew a stenciled outline of the New York skyline with the World Trade Center and an orange silk daisy near where the planes struck on 9/11.
csiemaszko@nydailynews.com
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/century-21-cancels-banksy-show-wtc-diss-article-1.1498979#ixzz2j4TkTjGj
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