A surveillance video shows a man with half of his face covered, cautiously entering an art exhibit in Toronto and then darting away clutching a Banksy print.
The theft of the Banksy print called “Trolley Hunters” was reported Sunday to police. On Thursday, Toronto Police released the surveillance video.
“Trolley Hunters” was part of more than 80 original works in “The Art of Banksy” exhibit, curated by his former art dealer, Steve Lazarides. The show was not endorsed by Banksy and had come under some criticism as antithetical to the artist’s anti-capitalist message for its $35 admission, CNN partner CBC reported.
At 5:04 a.m. Sunday, a man was seen on the surveillance video walking through a door into a space where the exhibition was being held. Wearing glasses, a black jacket and a camouflage baseball hat, he carefully stepped into the empty room. Seconds later, he’s seen rushing out with the artwork in his hands.
Banksy, the elusive street artist
The show’s publicist said the surveillance video is real and not a publicity stunt, reported the CBC.
The print had gone missing during the exhibit’s setup, a coordinator of the exhibit said in a Thursday news conference, the CBC reported.
The exhibit in Toronto is scheduled to run until July 11.
