“Flower Bomber”, a street-artwork conveying a global message

This picture was taken in Jerusalem, location where a gay parade took place in 2005, which was attacked by protesters who stabbed three people and injured many more.
This painting was created by the famous street artist Banksy, as a peaceful response to those events.
Instead of throwing up a grenade, the artist wanted the rioter to send a bunch of flowers, symbolizing pacifism.

I believe that this masterpiece is linked with global culture and contributes to multiculturalism for two reasons.

First of all because it belongs to the art of graffiti, which constitutes nowadays a part of our society’s cultural resources. In my opinion, street art is a modern way to spread powerful ideas with a consequent impact. Thanks to the recent process of globalization, it is now possible to convey a message or an idea more rapidly and with a larger influence.  Street art is undeniably a new form of cultural appropriation which has become omnipresent on Earth.

Secondly, this painting represents global culture because it delivers a relevant message and holds a real meaning. Through this non-violent performance, the artist is protesting against homophobia, but especially against hatred and violence which are international problems.
He tries to spread multicultural values and share ethics for the general interest.
By this strong message and all the events that can be linked to this performance, Banksy can gather all types of people with different beliefs, because of the different manners to interpret his artwork.

Last but not least, Banksy’s drawings and paintings may appear humorous but behind humor lays the seriousness of this issue.
Indeed, what makes this topic “global” is the fact that Banksy uses different political and social situations, such as global warming, racism, corruption, or even sexism to educate the entire community about inequalities that are present around the world.