They look like soft snowflakes. But in his mural Season's Greetings in Port Talbot, Wales, Banksy transforms a classic winter festivity icon into a symbol of air pollution.
A child (the sex is unclear) appears to be enjoying eating snowflakes. But turning the corner, we realise that what is falling on their tongue is ash from a burning skip. The anonymous street artist Banksy strikes again, this time tackling an environmental issue that affects billions of people around the world: air pollution, which causes at least 7 million premature deaths a year according to the WHO, the United Nations World Health Organization. For his mural, the provocative artist chose the city of Port Talbot, in Wales, home to one of the largest steelworks in Europe, owned by Indian multinational Tata.
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"Season's greetings" is the name of the work, as well as the minimalist text of the post published by the artist on his Instagram page on 19 December, confirming the authenticity of the mural painted on a garage in a residential street. Banksy decided to focus on the theme of air pollution in the Welsh city following a message he received from a resident and former steelworks employee named Gary Owen, according to Wales Online. Owen, acutely aware of the harm that pollutants in the air cause to children — a problem affecting more than 90 per cent of minors worldwide according to the WHO — says he wrote to Banksy in August asking him to paint in Port Talbot. And the artist responded by creating the mural, which has already attracted thousands of visitors. It is now protected by a screen and a barrier, which nonetheless did not prevent a vandal from attempting to damage it — unsuccessfully, thanks to the intervention of the on-duty guardians, all volunteers.
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The poor air quality in Port Talbot is confirmed by a WHO report published last May, which highlights how the city is one of 17 areas in the United Kingdom where particulate matter levels are at the limit set by the international body, that is, 10 micrograms per cubic metre. "Particulate matter is the air pollutant that has the greatest impact on human health," according to the UN organisation, because it penetrates deep into the lungs and the cardiovascular system, causing diseases and complications such as strokes, heart attacks, lung cancer and respiratory tract infections.
Moreover, this summer residents of the Welsh city had reported the accumulation of black dust released by the steelworks — so heavy that it settles on surfaces and is visible to the naked eye — posing an enormous risk especially to young children, who play on the ground. The authority that regulates the use of natural resources in the country, Natural Resources Wales, declared that "the frequency and quantity of pollution are unacceptable." With the upcoming merger between Tata and German metallurgy giant ThyssenKrupp, which will create a new steel-producing company that will take ownership of the Port Talbot facilities, the issue of air pollution will be felt even more keenly by residents — all the more so thanks to the unique Christmas gift they have received: the magic touch of Banksy's spray can.