Banksy is back. With a post published on Instagram just over an hour ago, the artist unveiled his latest creation: a red and white lighthouse standing against a coastal landscape, with an unmistakable message painted on the wall that reads, “I want to be what you saw in me.” The artwork appears to be located in Marseille, a city with a history deeply rooted in street art, although, true to form, Banksy hasn’t revealed the exact location, leaving fans and onlookers guessing.
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There are no obvious clues in the shared image, but the scene evokes a melancholic atmosphere, amplified by the phrase accompanying the lighthouse — a symbol often associated with guidance, hope, and isolation. Once again, Banksy seems to have the ability to take something ordinary and turn it into something surprising: in this case, it’s a simple traffic bollard casting a shadow that stretches into the shape of a lighthouse. A simple yet powerful gesture, emphasizing the importance of the viewer’s gaze in visual art — the same object can take on different meanings depending on who observes it.
The piece comes five months after Mother and Child, the December 2024 artwork that reinterpreted the religious iconography of the Madonna and Child in a contemporary light. If that work played with sacredness and familial intimacy, the lighthouse seems to point toward something more internal and universal: the need to be seen for who we truly are — or perhaps for who others imagine us to be.
