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WHERE ART THOU?
Mystery over Banksy mural that suddenly disappeared – leaving furious locals who ‘paid to keep it’ demanding its return
Scroll on to read history of piece - which has been 'ruined' many times
LOCALS who say they forked out money to keep a Banksy in their town have been left fuming after it vanished - and now they're demanding its return.
Valentine's Day Mascara appeared on a wall in Margate, Kent on February 14 last year - with the mystery street artist announcing within hours it was one of his.
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The piece showed a 1950s housewife with a black eye and missing tooth closing a chest freezer with the legs of a man hanging out the side - in what appeared to be a snap of a domestic violence victim’s revenge.
At the time, the local council was slammed for TWICE taking away the freezer in front of the mural - saying it was ‘unsafe’.
The art was then removed while a permanent home for it was found, and in the months that followed the public was offered the chance to buy shares in the piece.
Sarah Henman, 47, was one of those who splashed out in August last year - saying she was under the impression that meant it would stay in Margate.
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But, less than a year later, it’s gone - and locals like Sarah said they had no clue where it was, or when it was coming back.
Mum Sarah told The Sun: “We were so pleased that people will come here to see it.
“What a nice way of generating money for the town.
“We thought the whole point to it, having shares, was to keep it in Margate.
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“We didn’t know where it is moving, we don’t know when it’s coming back.
“We feel like we’re now at a loss. I’m really upset.”
'Our rent will skyrocket' worry residents after Banksy work appears on side of North London homes
Desperate for answers, Sarah asked The Sun for help - and we managed to find the missing Banksy more than 70 miles away.
The work had initially been placed in Margate's Dreamland theme park, with Red8 Gallery in London, who was “representing the current owner”, saying how great it would be for the town.
Red8 chief executive Julian Usher told the at the time: "I'm so pleased the Banksy work can be hosted at Dreamland, so it remains in the town for everyone to come and see.
"The fact it will be accessible for people to actually own a share in is wonderful, and it also means the mural can now make Margate its official home."
The mural was also set to raise money for Oasis - a domestic violence charity in Kent - and Showpiece, which sells pieces of collectibles, was facilitating selling the shares.
Local Sarah said she hadn’t seen the Banksy for months as Dreamland closed for the winter - but when it reopened the mural was no where to be seen.
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The self-employed cleaner said: “I don’t know where the piece is, I don’t know if it’s sold. No one’s replying to us.
“We have no idea what’s happened to it.”
She took to social media and was overwhelmed by other locals who had bought shares - and wondered where it was gone.
One shareholder wrote: “I was under the impression that buying a share meant it would remain in Margate and help the local community benefit from people coming to see it.
“I would have never bought a piece otherwise and feel a little disheartened.”
Another said: “I was under the exact same impression - really disappointed.”
Everyone’s obviously upset. There’s been a lot of interest in it.
Sarah Henman
One angered local added: “I bought a share to keep it in Margate, not so that someone could sell it on. Surely it should stay here? I thought it was going to be housed at Dreamland on a more long-term basis."
Sarah and other locals said they were told by Showpiece, who they bought the shares through, that they were meant to have received an email about it moving.
However, they claimed it never landed in their inbox.
Then, in February this year, it was revealed the work would be on display at London’s Yamaha Music Store.
A press release read: “The exhibition of Banksy’s 'Valentine’s Day Mascara' is open to the public and free to view from now until further notice.”
Timeline of Valentine's Day Mascara
February 14, 2023 - Art appears in Margate and Banksy confirms on Instragram it's his. By the afternoon, Thanet Council workers remove chest freezer.
February 15 - A protective screen is placed over the mural.
February 16 - Council workers remove freezer AGAIN and it's placed into storage, before a fridge-freezer is popped in its place.
March - Contractors spotted at mural, while it's boxed in for removal.
June 6 - Banksy snapped at Dreamland, Margate.
August - The public is offered to buy shares in the piece with spokesperson saying it can 'now make Margate its official home'.
February 5, 2024 - It's revealed in a press release that Valentine's Day Mascara will be moving to London's Yamaha Music Store - with an alleged promise that the artwork will eventually return to Margate for the summer.
February 16 - Mural unveiled at Soho store.
March 26 - Shareholders start to question where Banksy piece is, after noticing it's gone from Dreamland.
July - The Sun discovers the piece still at Yamaha Music Store - despite Margate locals' expectation that it would be returned to them.
As of this week, it remained there - and its future remains uncertain.
Sarah added: “Everyone’s obviously upset. There’s been a lot of interest in it.
“We feel like we’re now at a loss.”
The Showpiece website says the piece was set to be displayed at Dreamland theme park "for the rest of 2023".
It says there are still 26 shares on sale at the moment, ranging from £125 to £1.1million a pop.
The website says: “We are asking for donations in aid of Refuge, the nation’s largest domestic abuse organisation.”
We therefore cannot guarantee that collectibles will never be sold.
Showpiece
When it says will pieces every be sold, it reads: “Our intention is to hold and protect collectibles indefinitely for the enjoyment of our community of Collectors, rather than to sell the collectibles.
“If in the future a third party did offer to buy one of the collectibles, the community of Collectors would decide if the item should be sold.
“We therefore cannot guarantee that collectibles will never be sold.”
Showpiece told The Sun: "Showpiece acts as an agent for the fractionalisation of the collectable and as a trustee for the ownership trust on behalf of fractional owners."
Yamaha Music Store, where the piece currently sits, said the future of the Banksy is set to be decided in coming weeks.
It told The Sun: "Yamaha Music London has had the Valentine's Day Mascara artwork on display to raise awareness and support the Oasis charity in Margate who work for women and children against domestic violence, which the piece created by Banksy highlights.
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"There were two events held in-store to help raise funds and support the Oasis charity and we understand that a significant amount was raised.
"Yamaha Music London has been delighted to help raise awareness of the Oasis charity The display period is shortly coming to an end and owner of Red 8 Gallery, Julian Usher who was responsible for the installation will also be arranging the removal of the artwork in the next few weeks."
Banksy piece dismantled TWICE
The Banksy mural was ruined by jobsworth council workers - before it was dismantled again in a bizarre twist.
Just 24 hours after the artwork was first spotted, council workers removed the freezer - leaving behind a blank space.
Thanet Council later made a U-turn, putting the freezer back in place - after a bizarre interlude in which it was replaced by a wheelie bin.
In a still stranger twist, the freezer was removed again, hours after the council put it back.
London's Red Eight Gallery said the freezer was put back in storage with permission from the homeowner, before a permanent home can be found for the entire work.
Julian Usher, the gallery's chief executive, said at the time: "The homeowners have stipulated that they wish a local charity supporting prevention of domestic abuse against women to benefit along with the piece being used to raise awareness in Margate and nationally.
"We are in conversation with civil engineers and building contractors regarding the safe removal of the piece.
"Regarding the freezer the council removed it to make it safe and we have protected the wall with a Perspex cover.
"The freezer has been returned by the council and is currently in storage for safe keeping until it can be reunited with the art once the wall has been removed."
He added that the owner is "grateful" for Banksy's gift and will do "everything possible" to promote the prevention of domestic abuse, honour the Margate community and preserve the artwork.
The homeowners also said: "We were not, in our wildest dreams expecting this. Without the support and quick actions of Red Eight Gallery, we have no doubt the artwork would not still be intact.
"We'll do our best to respect the major parties involved but our key focus is raising the awareness of domestic abuse against women."
North Thanet MP Sir Roger Gale defended the local council's decision to dismantle the new Banksy artwork, conceding that it had been "heavy-handed".
He said: "I think it's an extremely impressive and extremely clever piece of art.
"And I hope and believe that it can and it should be preserved and displayed safely so that as many people as possible can see it."
"I know there are people who are saying, 'Oh they should never have done this, they should have left it as it was'."
"You can't. "If you've got something as potentially dangerous as a chest freezer into which a child could climb (into) and suffocate, you actually can't responsibly just leave it.
"You have to do something about it to make it safe."
In the hours before the mural was seen, a couple said they spotted a white van and a man in an orange coat.
Megan, a stay-at-home mum, said: "I thought it was Banksy straight away, and there was another guy photographing it which made me believe it was someone well known.
"I guess it's exciting. This area can be a bit dull at this time of year and it's bringing a bit of light.
"It's an important and brutal message.
"There isn't enough help out there for domestic violence often leading people to take it into their own hands."
The couple have taken their son, River, two, to see the graffiti and are excited to tell him what happened when he is old enough to understand.
Megan said: "Margate is really up and coming and it's nice to bring people to our little corner.
"Anything that can bring people together is great."
Megan owns her flat and has lived there since April 2022, but is uncertain whether the value will increase due to its close proximity to the artwork.
She added: "I'm not too sure if it will.
"Of course, it would be a bonus, but I assume the house that it is painted on will go up in price."
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