In our master's thesis, we focused on researching street art as a specific form of communication and political expression during wartime. Our starting point was the realization that street art transcends the aesthetic dimension and, in times of crisis, takes on the function of documenting, shaping collective memory, and resistance. We focused on Banksy's murals, which were created during the war on destroyed buildings in Ukraine, as they appeal not only to the local population but also to the international public, while at the same time revealing the political significance of the space through their location. The aim of the master's thesis was to analyze the context and symbolic meaning of Banksy's creations in Ukraine and to show how his stencils function as alternative media that express critical messages about war, violence, and resistance. In the theoretical part, we defined the concepts of street art, political graffiti, alternative media, and commodification, and examined the significance of art in wartime. In the empirical part, we analyzed seven of Banksy's works using a combination of historical-comparative methods, compositional analysis, and social semiology. We paid particular attention to the issue of commodification, as works of art originating from non-profit subcultures are often quickly incorporated into the capitalist process and may consequently lose some of their subversive power. The purpose of the master's thesis is to open up a space for discussion about the role of art during the war, its influence on public consciousness, and the dilemmas that arise at the intersection of critical messaging and commodification.
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