For the last year of Santas Ghetto in 2007, Banksy took the project to Bethlehem, with the aim of drawing attention to the situation in Palestine and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The installation was controversially seen by some as exploiting the conflict in Palestine for artistic purposes, and because of its challenging imagery in a way that some found offensive because of the high religious and political tensions within the areas of where the work was exhibited. However, it also received praise for its creativity and its ability to draw attention to an important political issue. Santa’s Ghetto invited close to 20 artists to take part in the project.
Returning to Bethlehem in 2017 Banksy opened The Walled Off Hotel, continuing the controversial artwork from Santas Ghetto in 2007 project features a range of rooms and suites coved in the politically charged artwork Banksy had now become renowned for. The hotel is situated in close proximity to the Israeli West Bank barrier, and many of the rooms offer views of the wall. The wall itself remains illegal under international law and is a military structure over 700km long built by the Israeli government. It encloses occupied Palestine. Depending on who you talk to it’s either a vital security measure or an instrument of apartheid.
The Walled Off Hotel is intended to provide a unique and thought-provoking experience for guests, with the aim of drawing attention to the situation in Palestine and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The hotel’s website describes it as “the worst view in the world,” highlighting the bleakness of the situation faced by Palestinians living under occupation.
In addition to its accommodation and artistic offerings, the Walled Off Hotel also hosts events and talks related to the conflict and serves as a platform for local artists and activists to share their work and experiences. The hotel has been praised by some for its innovative approach to political activism, while others have criticized it as a form of “art washing” that uses political issues to promote tourism and sell merchandise. Becoming a part of the problem through trivialising very deep seeded poignant issues faced in Bethlehem for the Western world to consume on mass.
Although Banksy’s Hotel is a unique and controversial project that seeks to engage with important political issues in a creative and thought-provoking way. While its impact and effectiveness are open to debate, it remains an important example of how art can be used to engage with social and political issues and provoke discussion and debate thought-out the world to instigate change.
