“Submerged Phone Booth” is one of more than 150 replica pieces on display at The House of Banksy — Unauthorized Exhibition in Hanau, Germany. (Bradley Latham/Stars and Stripes)
A new exhibition near Frankfurt offers an up-close look at Banksy’s work, even though the famously anonymous artist hasn’t signed off on it.
The House of Banksy — Unauthorized Exhibition is one of the latest in a genre of traveling pop-up galleries that aim to spread the message of the 21st century’s most famous street artist.
About 45 minutes from Wiesbaden at the Stadthof Hanau, the exhibition displays more than 150 re-creations and replicas of Banksy’s graffiti, sculptures and other works.
The very existence of House of Banksy is nearly as controversial as the English artist’s original work, much of which was created illegally.
He has made it clear through his representatives that he has nothing to do with such exhibits or any other third-party commercial use of his artwork.
Visitors watch a video presentation that accompanies the “Love Is in the Bin” display at The House of Banksy in Hanau, Germany. The infamous painting became one of Banksy’s most well-known works when it self-destructed immediately after its auction in 2018. (Bradley Latham/Stars and Stripes)
Though they are replicas, viewing the art felt like a privilege, since I’ve never seen a Banksy in person. Most of his original work is not publicly accessible beyond images on the internet, since the murals are often removed, painted over or stolen soon after creation.
It takes about an hour and a half to explore the exhibition, which invites guests to examine Banksy’s irreverent, antiestablishment commentary on war, consumerism, inequality and many other contemporary issues.
The Hanau attraction begins with a display of some of the artist’s most recent work found in Ukraine and continues across nearly 10 rooms incorporating video displays and audio elements in an immersive environment.
“A Christmas Greeting From Ryan,” also known as “I’ll Be Home for Christmas,” is a 2019 mural bringing attention to homelessness in Birmingham, England. Curators at the House of Banksy — Unauthorized Exhibition in Hanau, Germany, tried to re-create the original environments of the artist’s works. (Bradley Latham/Stars and Stripes)
Information boards in both German and English are plentiful throughout and a QR code on each provides a more in-depth description of the pieces.
The galleries were lively with plenty of visitors wandering about, but the venue never felt crowded and every display was easily accessible.
I thoroughly enjoyed my visit but was also surprised at the wistfulness I experienced reading about a few of Banksy’s actual galleries and installations that I wish I could have checked out firsthand, like Dismaland, a dystopian Disney-like art installation that was open for only a few weeks in 2015.
Visitors view The Walled Off Hotel display at the House of Banksy in Hanau, Germany, on April 12, 2026. The actual hotel, built in 2017, and reopened in December 2025, is located in Bethlehem next to the West Bank barrier wall. (Bradley Latham/Stars and Stripes)
"Royal Courts of Justice" is one of Banksy's newest creations, appearing on Sept. 8, 2025, in London. Information plaques in German and English accompany many displays throughout the House of Banksy in Hanau. (Bradley Latham/Stars and Stripes)
I also appreciated the re-creation of the Walled Off Hotel, a lodging designed by Banksy in the West Bank that bills its up-close vista of the fortification separating Israelis and Palestinians as “the worst view in the world.” Since a visit to Bethlehem is not likely in the cards for me, this was probably the best available substitute.
I wouldn’t go as far as saying I experienced an existential crisis, but my visit and Banksy’s body of work left me with a lot to contemplate as I reflected on decades of government service in the midst of the ongoing Iranian conflict.
The last room highlights the M.V. Louise Michel, a former French navy boat that now rescues refugees thanks to the proceeds from the sale of Banksy’s artwork. Though a donation box gives patrons an opportunity to contribute to the ship’s mission, many of the visitors I saw declined.
A gift shop concludes the House of Banksy — Unathorized Exhibition in Hanau, Germany. The shop sits in contrast to anticonsumerism themes addressed in many of Banksy’s pieces. (Bradley Latham/Stars and Stripes)
Instead, they walked into the nearby exhibition gift shop to purchase T-shirts, replica canvas prints or other Banksy-themed knickknacks.
I’d like to believe that their actions were a bit of metacommentary on their own, or at the very least a nod to Banksy’s film “Exit Through the Gift Shop,” but maybe I’m just overanalyzing as I reflect on my thought-provoking visit.
Nevertheless, the exhibition does deliver on an up-close, interactive and personal encounter that I’m happy to have experienced.
House of Banksy is open in Hanau until the end of May, with concurrent locations in Dortmund and Rotterdam.
The House of Banksy — Unauthorized Exhibition at the Stadthof Hanau displays more than 150 re-creations and replicas of Banksy’s graffiti, sculptures and other works. The exhibit runs through May 31, 2026. (Bradley Latham/Stars and Stripes)
House of Banksy — Unauthorized Exhibition Hanau
Address: Am Markt 2, Hanau, Germany
Hours: Wednesday, Sunday and public holidays, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Thursday through Saturday, 10 a.m.-8 p.m.
Prices: Adults, 18 euros; students, 14 euros; children 7 to 15, 10 euros
Information: Online: house-of-banksy.com/en/hanau
