Banksy of Bulgaria: Comedic Art or Disrespectful Defacement?

Citizens of Sofia, Bulgaria awoke this morning to discover that a Soviet military monument had been the latest victim of “artistic vandalizing”. Below the repainted monument in black spray-paint was the words (translated into english), “moving with the times”. Created by an individiual going by the monikor of Banksy of Bulgaria, the moment boasted characters such as the Joker, Ronald McDonald, Superman, Father Christmas and Captain America.

Looking at the monument brings back some images of life just before the end of the Cold War. The choice for writing “Moving with the Times” seems to be the most interesting part of the whole situation. To me it just seems to be a bit to ambiguous considering the times we are living in. Was the artist -tongue in cheek- proving a point that street art is being absolved of its vandalism tendencies, and instead rewarded for its contemporary artistic qualities. Was the artist showing that perhaps such monuments are a depressing reminder of Bulgaria’s dark past under the Soviet Union, and that the country should look forward towards a brighter future – one with better relations with the West?