Gone Bananas for 2025: A Look at the Art and the Politics of Change

Out with the Old: Saying Goodbye to 2024

As we approach the end of the year, 2024 is getting ready to take its exit, and it seems a little dramatic, doesn’t it? The year has been a whirlwind of events, changes, and perhaps a few eye-rolls at the many political shifts. In a rather flamboyant start, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer decided to say goodbye to some familiar home decor when he moved into Number 10. Gone are the portraits of iconic figures like Margaret Thatcher, Queen Elizabeth I, and even Sir Walter Raleigh.

Art Takes Center Stage

This shift in home decor has sparked discussions about what might replace these historical pieces. As social media rolled with speculation, a cheeky suggestion of decor featuring conceptual art began to surface. After all, why not swap out these statues of yesteryear for something like Maurizio Cattelan’s infamous banana taped to the wall? Or perhaps Marcel Duchamp’s urinal, ingeniously reinterpreted as fine art? That might add a bit of pizazz to the prime ministerial residence!

Is Art Worth the Cost?

Now, if the government decides to embrace this avant-garde approach, it could mean that the budget for Britain’s infrastructure projects takes a hit. Art, particularly conceptual art, tends to come with hefty price tags. So, Keir, let’s think this through. While a banana on a wall might make for great Instagram fodder, we still need roads and bridges that don’t resemble abstract concepts!

While the conversation about what we should cherish and what we should toss out continues, I'm off to the studio to make some of my own conceptual art. In the mean time check out some of our framed arts here