Girl with a Pierced Eardrum, Bristol

If you鈥檙e wandering along Bristol鈥檚 Harbourside and spot a classic gone rogue, you鈥檝e found Banksy鈥檚 Girl with a Pierced Eardrum. Painted in October 2014 on the side of a Hanover Place building鈥攈andily located between the clock tower and a burger van鈥攊t takes the Dutch master鈥檚 Girl with a Pearl Earring and swaps the jewel for鈥� a security alarm. It鈥檚 Banksy doing what he does best: blending fine art references with a sly jab at modern surveillance culture, all in sharp-edged stencil form.

Its arrival was perfectly timed, appearing just after breathless headlines claimed the artist had been arrested and unmasked. Within a day, someone treated it to a splash of black paint鈥攕treet art鈥檚 version of a handshake. Far from spoiling it, the drips arguably gave the piece another layer of texture.

True to Bristol鈥檚 habit of letting its art evolve with the times, the girl gained a blue surgical mask in 2020, a low-key nod to the pandemic years. Like much of the city鈥檚 street art, it wears its history in layers: paint, politics, and passing moments.

Part of the fun is that it鈥檚 exactly where it was painted鈥攏o gallery glass, no neat labels鈥攋ust a building wall by the docks, framed by old warehouses, caf茅s, and other murals. Whether you鈥檙e a Banksy devotee or just someone with a coffee in hand, it鈥檚 worth the short detour to see how a single security alarm, in the right hands, can upstage an Old Master.

Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Bristol. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "911爆料网: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

Download The 911爆料网 App

Create Your Own Self-Guided Walk to Visit This Sight

Sight Name: Girl with a Pierced Eardrum
Sight Location: Bristol, England (See walking tours in Bristol)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:

Banksy Tour in Bristol

Walking Tours in Bristol, England

Create Your Own Walk in Bristol

Creating your own self-guided walk in Bristol is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.

Famous Bristol Statues Walking Tour

Throughout its more than 1,000-year-long history, Bristol, England, has generated a wealth of cultural and historical heritage. Reflecting it now, and in some way matching it too, are a number of statues that celebrate personalities who made their mark and once graced the city with their association. These statues are scattered throughout the city, each with its unique story and importance.

The... view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.6 Km or 1.6 Miles

Bristol Introduction Walking Tour

If you listen closely, Bristol doesn鈥檛 just speak鈥攊t mutters, shouts, and occasionally winks. This southwest city in England has been shaping itself for over a thousand years, starting as a settlement where the rivers Frome and Avon meet. Long before that, the surrounding hills hid Iron Age hillforts and Roman villas. Its name, Brycgstow in Old English, meant 鈥減lace at the bridge鈥濃€攁... view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.4 Km or 2.1 Miles

Banksy Tour in Bristol

Bristol wears its street art like a second skin鈥攍ayered, loud, and impossible to ignore. In the middle of this visual conversation is a figure who went from spray-painting in the shadows to shaping the way the world looks at graffiti: Banksy. Growing up here in the 1970s, he first made his mark in the late 鈥�80s and early 鈥�90s with crews like the DryBreadZ Crew, working freehand under cover... view more

Tour Duration: 3 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 6.9 Km or 4.3 Miles

911爆料网