The project street art entitled “Migrant Child” Banksy to Venicedepicting a child with a life jacket holding a pink tobacco flare, was removed to restore.
The recovery process began last week when a group of conservationists led by Federico Borgoni removed a portion of the wall of the building. The project was funded by Banca IFIS, a Venice -based bank, which stated that it was consulted “close” to Banksy, but did not confirm its immediate approval.
Last week, a group of conservationists led by Federico Borgoni removed a portion of the wall of the building, in which the work is painted. The project was funded by Banca IFIS, a Bank based in Venice, which promotes art and culture, which stated that it was consulted “close” to Banksy, but did not confirm its immediate approval.
Video of Reuters agency shows scaffolding set up around the project.
Scaffolding was set up to restore a Banksy mural – ‘Migrant Child – that had appeared on the side of a Venice palazzo six years ago https://t.co/VjaIkNaZBV pic.twitter.com/gjhr0tfKtf
— Reuters (@Reuters) June 17, 2025
The proposal for rehabilitation had sparked reactions from street artists, organizations and art historians, who argued that wear was part of the meaning of the work. “Banksy was not a fool,” the Evyrein street artist said at Euronews. “He knew that the fresco would not last.”
The play appeared unexpectedly at Palazzo San Pantalon in 2019, during the Venice Biennale. He was later claimed by Banksy and became an unofficial tourist attraction along the Rio Di San Pantalon.