After spending a month carrying out an artistic “residency” in New York City, world famous street artist Banksy was briefly thought to have made Paris his new home.
A website entitled “Back to the roots” linked to an Instagram account started posting pictures – one per day in December – of street art pieces in a style very similar to the anonymous Brit’s.
However it transpires that everything about the street art Advent calendar, from the art pieces to the website, is fake.
A journalist from cultural magazine Les Inrocks has tweeted:
Confirmation de l'agent de Banksy aux Inrocks : le site (et l'invasion) Banksy in Paris sont un fake @CaroleBoinethttp://t.co/ZnvyeFswbK
— JD Beauvallet (@JDBeauvallet) 2 Décembre 2013
Translation: “Confirmation by Banksy’s agent to the Inrocks : the website (and the invasion) Banksy in Paris are a fake.”
In the meantime, Storyful, the social media press agency has contacted the Pestcontroloffice website, in charge of authentifying Banksy’s prints and art pieces. According to Storyful, Pestcontroloffice is unequivocal: the website is fake and the works of street art are forgeries.