Displaying items by tag: ship

Workmen took blowtorches to the ship and club venue ‘Thekla’ in Bristol to cut out and remove the artist Banksy’s painting of the Grim Reaper from just above the waterline on the steel hull.

The artist painted the Grim Reaper onto the ship, which is moored in Bristol harbor, around 10 years ago but exposure to the elements is causing ongoing deterioration.

Recognising the artwork’s iconic status and to preserve the image Thekla’s owner, the music promoter DHP Family, has decided to remove it while the boat is in dry dock for general maintenance, which happens only every eight years.

The cruise ship “Reflections,” one of 11 boats owned by Celebrity Cruises, set sail last week from Miami. Unlike most ships headed to the Caribbean, “Reflections” features 6,059 impressive works of contemporary art.

Given a budget of $4.1 million, Mariangela Capuzzo of International Corporate Art curated pieces from the company’s $60 million art collection. Working with the notion of reflections in mind, Capuzzo chose works by Robert Rauschenberg, Brazilian artist Albano Alfonso, and sculptor Will Ryman, among others. In total, there are eight site-specific works on board.

Celebrity Cruises is owned by Christina and John Chandris, the son of a Greek shipping magnate. The duo began collecting in 1990 when they purchased Robert Indiana’s Love sculpture, a bronze by Fernando Botero, a Damien Hirst painting, and many other well-known works.