A British art dealer is embroiled in a legal dispute with an Italian exhibitions company over three large Banksy murals, insured for £15 million, that were loaned three years ago. John Brandler, based in Essex, is pursuing action against Metamorfosi in Rome, which stages temporary touring exhibitions.
The murals include Season's Greetings, depicting a boy playing in polluted smoke, originally stencilled on a garage near Port Talbot steelworks in 2018. Brandler purchased it from the garage owner. The other works are Heart Boy and Computer Robot. All three are on their original walls, with Season's Greetings weighing 5.5 tonnes.
Brandler claims the initial two-year contract was extended for a year with a monthly loan fee, but payments became consistently late. He says the final payment is four months overdue and the murals have not been returned since the exhibition ended on 6 June. Another London dealer, Acoris Andipa, alleges Metamorfosi owes him £45,000 for curatorial services, which he has been chasing for over two years.
Metamorfosi directors Pietro Folena and Vittorio Faustini stated they have always paid monthly instalments except the last, pending invoices and tax documentation. They say they initiated return procedures on 3 June and have an email from Brandler on 5 June acknowledging storage issues and proposing to keep the murals until October at no extra cost. Brandler counters that he is still owed the final payment. Metamorfosi insists the return will be completed by the end of September and that Brandler's refusal to accept delivery unless paid strengthens their position.
