The latest art project from mysterious artist Banksy, (who may or may not be one singular person, and who may or may not be ‘3D’ from Massive Attack) is the Walled Off Hotel, a fully-functioning hotel in Bethlehem.
The hotel was constructed to mark one hundred years since Britain’s occupation of Palestine, and as such boasts “the worst view in the world”, being of the wall separating the Palestinian territory from Israel.
As his website explains: “The Walled Off Hotel is an entirely independent leisure facility set up and financed by Banksy. It is not aligned to any political movement or pressure group. The aim is to tell the story of the wall from every side and give visitors the opportunity to discover it for themselves. We offer an especially warm welcome to young Israelis. Absolutely no fanaticism is permitted on the premises.”
The hotel is — by all accounts — quite lovely inside, and features a piano bar which pumps out original scores by the likes of Massive Attack (hmm), Hans Zimmer, and the below number from Trent Reznor and Atticus Rose.
