Appen met Hazis Vardar, founder van het Banksy Museum Amsterdam

When Hazis Vardar was asked to create a Banksy Museum in Amsterdam, he knew one thing for sure: it had to be different. To him, putting framed art on white walls didn’t feel right for an artist like Banksy, whose work was literally born on the streets. Instead, he designed the museum to look like real streets, where more than 160 artworks are shown in settings that mirror their original context.

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Good afternoon Hazis, this is Blom from Fonk. Could you tell me a bit about your background in the art world and how that experience led to the creation of the Banksy Museum in Amsterdam?
Basically, I'm a theater director and stage producer in Paris. When I was asked to do the Banksy Museum in Amsterdam, I told myself that I would do it, but only if it was very different from the usual exhibitions.

And what makes this one different from other Banksy exhibitions?
Usually, in an exhibition, we hang frames on walls. And that's exactly what you shouldn't do in the case of street art. So I decided to recreate streets in order to have the works in their original contexts.

That sounds cool! What does Banksy mean to you personally, as an artist, a phenomenon, or a symbol?
I think he's a genius, at a time when everyone thought there was no way to create anything new, he revolutionized art. He reminded us that artists must be revolutionaries or intellectual pirates.

I agree, but how do you stay respectful to the artist’s original intent?
The most important thing about Banksy is the message in his works, so that's what we try to convey in the museum. And he took a positive stance when the Banksy Museum opened in Paris.

But he has also spoken out against commercial exhibitions he isn't involved in. What is your view on that and the creation of this new museum?
He opposed major international brands that used his works without permission for advertising. This is not at all the same thing as creating a museum dedicated to his art. Banksy actually encourages people to use his art for amusement, academic research or activism.

That makes sense, so why should people visit the Banksy Museum in Amsterdam and what do you hope visitors take away from the experience?
It's the only place where you can see more than 160 works in sizes similar to the original. Street artists worked for months to create the museum. Probably the only way to understand Banksy's message and spirit.

Sounds promising! I'd like to thank you for this interview!
Thank you, have a nice day!