An artwork by British graffiti artist Banksy that was stolen last year from the Bataclan music hall in Paris has been found by police in central Italy. The work, which depicted a young female figure with a mournful expression, was painted as a tribute to the victims of the 2015 terror attack at the venue.

It was cut out and removed from one of the venue’s emergency doors by a group of hooded people using angle grinders. According to La Repubblica it was found in a farmhouse in the Abruzzo region. The district attorney of the Italian city of L’Aquila, Michele Renzo, said: “The finding was possible following investigations conducted by the district prosecutor in collaboration with the police and the French judiciary.” 

After it was taken, the Bataclan posted on Twitter: “Today we are deeply indignant. Banksy’s work, a symbol of memory and belonging for everyone – locals, Parisians, citizens of the world – was stolen from us.” A press conference is set to be scheduled with further details about how it was found. Ninety people were killed in November 2015 when armed militants targeted the Bataclan during a concert by rock band Eagles Of Death Metal. The stencilled mural, described by the venue as “a symbol of recollection”, was one of a series of artworks attributed to Banksy that appeared around Paris in June 2018.(BBC)…[+]