One of the Banksy artworks that captivated Londoners last summer has been moved into the care of London Museum.
The piece will be kept in secure storage until it goes on permanent public display at the museum’s new home in Smithfield, opening next year.
The Police sentry box, spray-painted by Banksy with a shoal of piranhas, was carefully relocated today. It will be conserved and protected until the Museum opens to the public.
The work first appeared in August 2024 on Ludgate Hill, transforming a Police sentry box that had stood there since the 1990s.
Following confirmation from the artist that it was their creation, the Corporation quickly moved it to Guildhall Yard to protect it, where thousands of people queued behind safety barriers to see the work. It was later moved to Guildhall’s South Ambulatory.
Its transfer follows confirmation earlier this year that the artwork had been acquired into London Museum’s collection. Here it will be safeguarded for future generations, joining an archive of over seven million objects telling the story of the city over 450,000 years. The Piranhas work will be accessible for free to millions of visitors as part of the museum’s world-class new site in Smithfield, which opens in 2026.
The move supports Destination City, the City Corporation’s growth strategy for the Square Mile. Under the policy the organisation is attracting City businesses, workers, and visitors to ensure the Square Mile continues to play a leading role in driving London’s and the UK’s economy.
The City Corporation has already pledged £222m towards the £437m the new museum which, alongside the Barbican Centre, will transform the north-west of the Square Mile into a global arts capital, elevating the City’s attractiveness as a leading business and visitor destination. The museum is expected to attract two million visitors annually and create over 1,500 jobs.
London Museum is a partnership between the museum, the City Corporation, and the Greater London Authority, and is one of several transformative projects being delivered by the City Corporation, including the Barbican Renewal Programme, and the Salisbury Square Development to house the new Police HQ and multi-courts complex.
Policy Chairman of the Corporation, Chris Hayward, said:
“Banksy stopped Londoners in their tracks when this piece appeared in the Square Mile – and now we’re making it available to millions.
“By securing it for London Museum, we’re not only protecting a unique slice of the City’s story, but also adding an artwork that will become one of the museum’s star attractions.”
Chairman of the Corporation’s Culture, Heritage, and Libraries Committee, Brendan Barns, said:
“Banksy’s ‘Piranhas’ are already part of City legend – and soon they’ll be part of London’s story too.
“Moving this piece into the care of London Museum guarantees that millions of people will be able to enjoy it, alongside an extraordinary collection that celebrates the capital’s creativity and diversity.”
Head of Curatorial at London Museum, Glyn Davies, said:
“With the arrival of Banksy’s ‘Piranhas’, our collection now spans from Roman Graffiti to our first piece of contemporary street art.
“This work by one of the world’s most iconic artists now belongs to Londoners, and will keep making waves when it goes on show next year in the Museum’s new Smithfield home.”
The Corporation is one of the UK’s largest funders of heritage and cultural activities, investing over £130m every year. It manages world-class institutions including the Barbican Centre, Tower Bridge, Guildhall School of Music & Drama, Guildhall Art Gallery, The London Archives, and Keats House, and supports the London Symphony Orchestra and the new London Museum.
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