Graffiti artist’s protest mural heads to museum
A MURAL found in Cardiff which was created by the mysterious Glaswegian street artist The Rebel Bear is being shown for three months at the Museum of Cardiff as part of the Protest exhibition.
The artwork, which recently appeared on hoardings on Ferry Road by the Sports Village, was painted by the ‘Scottish Banksy’ in support of a disabled woman who lives in the city, and who – as previously reported in the Echo – is involved in a court dispute with a private car park operator.
Like Banksy the Rebel Bear’s identity remains a mystery and they reportedly do their work while dressed in a bear costume.
The Cardiff work depicts a woman sitting in a wheelchair which has been clamped.
Prints of the work are being sold to help fund her legal case which centres around a parking dispute.
Responding to the mural and to Rebel Bear’s support Cerys Gemma, who lives at Prospect Place near the Sports Village, said: “It’s great, I felt super-encouraged by it.
“It’s good to know people are on your side fighting your corner. I was astounded by it in a good way.
“I’ve seen Rebel Bear’s stuff online. I can’t believe they put all that effort in and I thought the creativity of it was really good.”
In an Instagram post, the worldrenowned artist described the artwork as, ‘just another example of overly-bureaucratic, money grabbing that seems to run through most institutions in society’.
The artwork was taken down from the Sports Village, with the artist’s and Cerys’ permission, to ensure that it wasn’t damaged.
The public can now view it at the Museum of Cardiff, on The Hayes, as part of the Protest exhibition, which explores 100 years of activism and protest in Cardiff.
From the Suffrage movement of the early 1900s to the Women’s March of 2017, people can see how people fought for their ideals and discover the communities which have pulled together for a common cause.
After the work is exhibited at the museum it could possibly be returned to a new permanent home in the Sports Village development.