The shop that never opened will close this weekend.
In a new Instagram post, Banksy posted a video letting his followers know that the shop will soon close.
The shop, “Gross Domestic Product, recently opened, drawing lots of attention from passersby.
The video features interviews with unidentified passersby looking in the windows of the store. The reactions include admiration, disappointment, disinterest and everything in between.
“Art in any area brings it up a bit,” said one man. “I like it.”
In between the interviews with viewers there are shots of the store, depicting the variety of items for sale. In a night scene, lights reflect off of the Banksy Met Ball, made from an old Police riot helmet and approximately 650 little mirrors.
“When I see that the handbag is made of a brick, it’s very symbolic,” a woman says.
A group of three men discuss the symbolism of the animals on plaques, covered in plastic.
“I don’t like it,” said one woman, who appeared unenthused by the experience.
According to the artist’s announcement, the store sells a variety of things:
When you visit the site, grossdomesticproduct.com, you are immediately with a “massive disclaimer.” The disclaimer says the shop is not a “proper” shop. It is a shop that sells stuff and offers refunds, “but all the products are made in an art studio, not a factory.”
All of the products available are made by a small group of people using recycled material “in a workplace culture of daytime drinking.” There is limited inventory and it will not all ship immediately. The disclaimer also says:
You are advised that GDP may prove to be a disappointing retail experience – especially if you’re successful in making a purchase.
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