‘KEEP OU-’: Banksy’s powerful anti-Brexit installation to go up for sale

British street artist Banksy is known for his anti-establishment and political statements, and one of his latest works is no exception. In May 2017, Banksy created a mural in Dover, Britain's primary gateway to continental Europe, featuring a worker with a hammer and chisel removing a star from the European Union flag. Now, one of his other anti-Brexit pieces is set to be auctioned in London.

Titled "Keep Ou T" and currently on display ahead of Phillips Frieze Week Modern & Contemporary Art Auctions, the artwork dates from 2019 and is expected to sell for up to €2.1 million. The words "KEEP OUT" are painted onto a repurposed, shuttered EU arrivals gate from Heathrow Airport, with a missing 'T'. This missing letter is replaced by one of Banksy's signature rats, which is using the letter as a tool to crack a padlock at the base of the closed border gate.

The piece appears to express Banksy's disdain towards Britain's decision to leave the European Union. This sentiment is reminiscent of his 2018 artwork, "Vote To Love," which featured a heart-shaped balloon over a UKIP "Vote Leave" placard. "Vote To Love" was originally priced at £350 million, a taunt aimed at Boris Johnson's famous Leave Campaign bus that pledged to save that same amount for the NHS post-Brexit.

The bus became a prominent symbol of the Leave Campaign, and the £350 million figure was widely disputed, including by the UK Statistics Authority and the Institute for Fiscal Studies. "Keep Ou T" is estimated to fetch between £1.2 million and £1.8 million (€1.4 million - €2.1 million) at auction, which will take place on October 15 in London.