Bansky, the probably most famous street artist in the world, has been for decades a symbol for many anti-system beliefs around the world. His enigmatic persona, as nobody knows who is the person behind the artist, his recognizable trademark in his street art, where he uses the environment as part of many of his works, his anticapitalist message, his mockery of the art establishment… Indeed Bansky is a figure to be studied in detail, and some of his works are now super famous…and super expensive.
However, due to the nature of his work, scattered in different countries and cities, and that many of the graffitis have been simply destroyed or stolen from their original locations, it is pretty much impossible to have any exhibition where art lovers could contemplate a big chunk of his production.
With that idea, Bansky Museum opened in Lisbon recently in January 2025, as as the Portuguese capital is my recent new home due to work, I decided to pay a visit on this sunny Sunday.
The museum is very nicely located at the heart of the city, just a short walk away from Saldanha metro station, so there should not be any problem for visitors to find it.
What you will find is 2 floors where the visitors can immerse in his work, with real size graffiti reproductions, smaller pictures and drawings and some video displays that show you some memorable moments in the life of Bansky. I got mesmerized watching in the TV the part where they sold in New York his authentic work in a street market…and almost nobody bought anything. Once again, Bansky has a laugh at the art establishment and the capitalism rules.
Photos are allowed to be taken all over the exhibition, and almost needless to say that the place is honey to take some great memories for your Instagram and social media. The staff is friendly and there is explanations of most of the art works written in Portuguese and in English, so you can learn more and feel quite free roaming inside its walls.
One thing that I must say that I did not like so much is that while Bansky spirit embodies a lot of anticapitalist ideas, the entrance to the museum costs 13 euro for adults, not cheap. And at the end of the visit to the museum there is the museum shop where you can buy a lot of memorabilia…but again not at a cheap price. I found funny that there was a painting by Bansky criticizing how assistants to a music festival buy t-shirts for 30 dollars…just close to the museum shop where the items costs also quite a lot…
All in all, if you are an art lover and 13 euro ticket is not gonna break your wallet, this place is super recommended if you live or you are planning visiting Lisbon. It will not take a lot of your time, a visit can be enjoyed in 1 hour or less, the displays are stunning and it is an unique opportunity to see most of Bansky’s iconic works or discover some new ones you did not know about, all gathered in one place.
For more amazing places to visit in Lisbon, check:
https://www.freemagazine.fi/a-must-see-in-lisbon-carmo-archeological-museum/