London Museum has announced it has acquired Banksy’s piranhas artwork for display in its new location.
The artwork, which saw fish painted on a police sentry box, made headlines last summer when it appeared as part of the street artist’s animal-themed collection in the capital, which concluded with a gorilla appearing to lift up a shutter on the entrance to London Zoo.
London Museum will display the work at its Smithfield location, opening in 2026, after the City Of London Corporation’s Culture, Heritage And Libraries Committee voted to donate it to the attraction.
Director of London Museum, Sharon Ament, said: “The only thing better than having a Banksy appear on the walls of London Museum in Smithfield or Docklands is having a Banksy on display inside.
“No other artist connects with people so profoundly, with such vigour, humour and honesty than Banksy.
“If you’re lucky, a Banksy will appear at the end of the road in which you live and it’s always a moment when one does.
“Banksy brings art to the streets and it’s for everyone.
“We are that, too, in the context of a museum, of course, so what a great acquisition and gift to have for the people of London – a City of London police box, filled with piranhas.”
Prior to the painting, which made it resemble a fish tank, the sentry box had stood in Ludgate Hill since the 1990s.
Following confirmation from the artist that it was his work, the box was relocated by the City Of London Corporation to Guildhall Yard, where thousands of visitors viewed it from behind safety barriers, and more recently to the South Ambulatory of the Guildhall Yard.
The artwork will be carefully removed from Guildhall this year and placed temporarily in the museum’s stores before it goes on permanent public display in 2026.
The City Corporation has pledged £222 million to the new museum. The museum is expected to attract two million visitors annually and create more than 1,500 jobs.
London Museum is being developed by the City Corporation, in partnership with the Greater London Authority, and is one of several transformative projects being delivered by the corporation, including the Barbican Renewal Programme and Salisbury Square Development to house the new City of London Police HQ and multi-courts complex.
Policy chairman of the City Of London Corporation, Chris Hayward, said: “When the piece appeared in the City and being acutely aware of Banksy’s popularity, we relocated it swiftly to protect it and ensure that it could be viewed safely and retained for future generations to enjoy.
“The piece, alongside the museum’s wider collection, will tell the story of London’s unique and diverse history.
“The new London Museum is just one of the many attractions that visitors can explore and experience in the Square Mile, and I know this artwork will delight all who see it.”
Banksy’s London animals collection was made up of nine works including a rhino seemingly mounting a silver Nissan Micra, two elephant silhouettes with their trunks stretched out towards each other, and three monkeys that looked as though they were swinging on a bridge.
The works created numerous headlines in 2024, as the works were stolen, covered up, and vandalised, after being painted across the city from August 5 to August 13.
London Museum’s London Wall site opened in 1976 and closed in December 2022 in preparation for the move to Smithfield. London Museum Docklands remains open.
