Banksy's 15th New York Residency Piece Features the Twin Towers

Banksy's newest work goes up.

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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It's day 15 of Banksy's New York residency "Better Out Than In," and the graffiti king's newest piece is a painting of the Twin Towers with a flower. Around 11:30 a.m. today, @banksyny posted this image on his Instagram with the caption that it is in Tribeca.

The piece depicts the original World Trade Center buildings with a bright orange flower that makes it look like there is an explosion in one of the towers (but the explosion has been replaced with a harmless flower), an allusion to 9/11. People are responding to the powerful work with praise, and while Banksy's other pieces have been painted over within hours, this may be one that other graffiti artists respect. As one comment reads, "No one will deface this and if they do they're not real New Yorkers..Beautiful piece Banksy...Never forget...9/11/01." We hope that this is the case.

While people seem to be battling the excitement around each new piece vs. their annoyance around all the hoopla, this may be one work that rises above the Banksy debate. Earlier today, the graffiti artist tweeted, "time to step it up," and with this work, he has taken his residency in New York to a new level.

time to step it up

UPDATE OCT. 15 12:12 P.M. ET: A tipster toldAnimal New York that the new Banksy is on the corner of Staple Street and Jay Street. 

UPDATE OCT. 15 12:43 P.M. ET: According to Gothamist, there is a second Banksy 9/11 tribute in Brooklyn Heights that the artist may have started before he moved to Tribeca. Check out the first work here.

UPDATE OCT. 16 10:39 A.M. ET: Someone has written a note asking Banksy "haters" to respect his Twin Towers piece.

UPDATE OCT. 16 12:05 P.M. ET: Hyperallergicreports that overnight the Banksy 9/11 tribute became a memorial ringed in flowers and candlelight. Since it went up yesterday, @lastsuspect stole the flower on one of the towers and posted an image and super weird video of it on Instagram with a promise to distribute the petals around the city. The thief is receiving heated comments for disturbing Banky's work.

UPDATE OCT. 18 10:58 A.M. ET: The Twin Towers piece in Tribeca has been covered in plexiglass and blacked out with blue paint, reportsGothamist. Also, the Brooklyn Heights version of the piece has been buffed.
 

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