The Banksy exhibition contains around 50 original works by Street Art legend Banksy.

Moco museum has all his iconic works on display, like Laugh Now, Barcode, Girl with Balloon, Kids on Guns, Pulp Fiction, Flower Thrower, Monkey Queen, Kate Moss, Bomb Hugger, Soup Can and many more. The centerpiece of the exhibition is the Beanfield painting, which measures 2.5 x 3.5 meters. Though it has not been on display since 2009, Beanfield is an important piece as it emphasizes Banksy’s activist nature.
Banksy is well known for his outdoor art which can be found in streets all around the world. London even has maps marking the locations where you can find his pieces, many of which are monitored against vandalism. Banksy’s indoor pieces – original and unique works on canvas, wood and paper – have so far been less exposed.

You will now find these indoor pieces, on loan from collectors, at Moco. As an addition, we even have a few pieces that were rescued from the rubble of torn down buildings.

An exhibition of one of the greatest contemporary art interpreters and a master of Pop Art. The influence of Roy Lichtenstein’s art is still evident in many forms of artistic expression: from paintings to advertising, from photography  design and fashion. You recognize his influence at first glance. Lichtenstein has become part of the subconscious cultural heritage to all of us.

Lichtenstein’s art seems “easy” to understand. But beneath the surface it is an intellectual, rationalistic art, premeditated and realized through a complex process of a deconstruction and reconstruction of the image: bold lines associated with flat colors, thousands of regular dots, a magnified halftone screen that suggests the idea of chiaroscuro and even the impression of reflections of light.

Right from the start, Roy Lichtenstein’s sophisticated art has had been an uninterrupted force of seduction impacting visual culture and communication, and will continue to do so for a long time to come.

The fact that the young Iranian brothers Icy (34) and Sot (29) are called the ‘Banksy of Iran’ is not without reason. In their own country, their work is not only considered controversial, it is even banned. Notwithstanding, the work of these street artists literally holds a mirror to the current Iranian society. With their work they offer an idiosyncratic view on themes like oppression, fame, freedom, war and dreams. The talent of the brothers did not go unnoticed and soon Icy and Sot got the chance to leave the streets of Tabriz tempted by New York.

Admiration among art lovers increased even more in The Big Apple. Success seemed assured, but not without sacrifice: By embracing their success in America, returning to their native country became impossible.

We now know that Icy and Sot did not give up their future in their native country in vain. The duo currently holds several exhibitions in New York and are working hard to gain international success. Just recently (February 6, 2018) the two were the subject of discussion thanks to a playful action on Wall Street. By placing a gigantic crumpled dollar bill in the middle of New York’s financial district, the two opposed greed and the volatility of capitalism.

Anna Nooshin 

The works that will feature in the ICY and SOT exhibition are being chosen by Kim Logchies and Anna Nooshin. Moco founder Kim Logchies knew from their very first meeting that Anna Nooshin was the perfect match for the Moco Museum and its works and she was determined that the two should collaborate. The choice of ICY and SOT was a joint decision. Anna’s story is similar to that of ICY and SOT but it was her personal taste, natural affinity with and curiosity for art that persuaded Kim to enlist Anna as co-curator for this extraordinary exhibition.

Anna identified with the two brothers who also fled from their native country of Iran. Like them, she has also succeeded in moving on from a difficult start in life and achieving a positive and inspirational turnaround. In early March, Anna and Kim travelled to New York to meet the artists and select works for the exhibition. Anna is involved in the whole creative process.