Surprise! Media Turns Banksy's Small Anti-Israel Installation Into Major News! - by Tamar Sternthal

...far from being a huge mural which changes the face of the city itself, Banksy’s new piece is a small affair which sits atop a little end table inside the hotel. The diminutive size of the art installation, however, was apparently not a factor in the determination of news organizations to dedicate astounding amounts of high profile, high visibility coverage.

Tamar Sternthal..
CAMERA.org..
23 December '19..

A major media event has hit the biblical town of Bethlehem, Jesus’ birthplace, just days before Christmas: The secretive artist Banksy has produced a new exhibit depicting the nativity scene with Israel’s concrete security barrier in the background, topped by a bullet hole in the shape of the iconic star characteristic of the manger.

The opening of what the artists has dubbed “The Scar of Bethlehem” has garnered vast coverage: articles include those by the Associated Press (“Banksy takes politically charged Nativity Scene to Bethlehem“), Agence France Presse (“Mysterious artist Bansky unveils dark nativity in Bethlehem“), Reuters (“Banksy’s scar of Bethlehem’ nativity unveiled in West Bank hotel“), Sky News (“Banksy “nativity” appears at his Walled Off hotel in Bethlehem“); The Mirror (“Banksy paints baby Jesus nativity scene. . . “), The Independent (“Bansky unveils ‘Scar of Bethlehem’ nativity mural“), BBC (“Banksy ‘nativity scene’ appears in Bethlehem hotel“), CNN (“Banksy unveils ‘modified nativity’ scene in Bethlehem“), The Irish Independent (“Banksy highlights conflict with his ‘Scar of Bethlehem’ nativity“), videos by Reuters, Deutsche Welle, and Voice of America (seen below, the three-minute promotional piece does not include even one word about why the security barrier was built), and numerous photographs from the major wire services.

Based on the media frenzy, one would assume that the political art was a towering mural, a dominant feature in the city, outside the boutique Walled Off hotel, perhaps appearing on the security barrier itself, which sits right next to the high-end lodging based around Banksy’s work.

But far from being a huge mural which changes the face of the city itself, Banksy’s new piece is a small affair which sits atop a little end table inside the hotel. The diminutive size of the art installation, however, was apparently not a factor in the determination of news organizations to dedicate astounding amounts of high profile, high visibility coverage.

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