A monkey crouches over a detonator, seemingly moments away from setting off an explosion. Banksy freezes the scene just before anything happens, leaving the outcome to the viewer’s imagination.

Monkeys appear throughout Banksy’s work, often behaving in ways we associate with humans. Here, the animal’s playful appearance clashes with the destructive power of the device beneath it. Does the monkey know what it is doing, or is it acting without understanding the consequences? Monkey Detonator uses that uncertainty to raise questions about power, responsibility and the ease with which dangerous decisions can be made.