Shopping for Pets

Well, it’s kind of sad that I live in NYC and I had to hear about this from Karn’s post.  But the important thing is I did make it downtown to visit Banksy’s Village Pet Store and Charcoal Grill.  I’ve long been a fan of Banksy’s art.  It is always creative and often hilarious.  Let me tell you, his pet store set-up did not disappoint.  It was one of the coolest art installations I’ve ever seen.  

I’m going to post some pictures below but you have to realize that all of the animals pictured are also animatronic, which makes it much cooler in person.  I can’t believe how well put together these displays are. The whole animatronic aspect also reminded me of Disney World, which made things even more bizarre.  If you have the opportunity, please visit in person.  I only took pictures of about one third of the displays so there’s plenty more going on.  If you can visit, I advise you to peer in every crevice and take your time to find everything.  The level of detail is amazing and there are plenty of hidden surprises.

The whole pet store setting is also completely authentic, except for the crazy displays.  There are even actual pet items (and meat products) for sale.  The people working there are very friendly.  One of the women working there approached a person with two dogs.  I thought she was going to throw them out or something but instead she offered some free doggy treats.  I didn’t see Banksy’s name anywhere in the place, but he does have some interesting quotes about the project in this article.

The store fits in so well with the surroundings that I almost walked past it.  But I noticed this kid’s dolphin ride, something you would see in front of any supermarket.  Except for the net, that is.

The window displays were incredible. There was a piece with two “baby” security cams in a nest with “momma” security cam looking in from time to time. There was also this rabbit, applying her makeup:

Inside I found a pair of chicken nuggets enjoying some sauce:

These little fellows sure looked tasty:

Mmm, even better with mustard:

I stopped to peruse some meat products:

But I was more in the mood for fish:

Tweety has seen better days:

This dude was just chilling:

Be sure to grab some gumballs on your way out:

As I said, you really have to see these things moving to fully appreciate the genius of the exhibit. It’s an amazing experience. The show is open until Halloween so drop by if you are in the area. Since it’s the Halloween season, stop by the Jekyll and Hyde club, which is conveniently located just next door. It’s a little cheesy but I like it (the midtown one is even cheesier and more fun).