Banksy's "Spy Booth" Installation Will Be Removed and Shipped to an Art Gallery

A scaffolding company has boarded up Banksy's phone booth in Cheltenham and will take it away by next week.

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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This past April, residents of Cheltenham discovered what they believed to be a Banksy work in the form of a phone booth under surveillance by men in trench coats. The work even caught the attention of Britain's Government Communications Headquarters, who said that they were "as intrigued as the rest of the residents of Cheltenham about the appearance of the mysterious artwork." This week scaffolding appeared around the piece and made some people nervous about the fate of the art.

Image via BBCGlos on Twitter

The Independent reports that a company called Q Scaffolding is working to remove the piece so that it can "go in an art gallery in London on 4 July," but the company would not confirm the name of the gallery. Gloucestershire Echo reporter Michael Yong said via Twitter that "a spokesperson for building owner David Possee denies the sale of Banksy art work in Cheltenham," but it will be heading to a gallery next month. 

UPDATE JULY 2, 2014 2:00PM: The removal of the piece has been halted due to a temporary stop notice issued by the Cheltenham borough council, according to The Guardian. Built environment enforcement manager Mark Nelson says that "the temporary stop notice has been served because the council considers that works have taken place to a Grade II listed building, which affects its character as a building of special architectural or historic interest, without obtaining consent." So that means that Cheltenham residents have at least 28 more days to see the booth before the notice expires.

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RELATED: The GCHQ British Intelligence Agency Is "Intrigued" by the Alleged Banksy Piece in Cheltenham 

[via Independent

 

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