Restoration of Banksy's Venetian Mural Requires Its Removal

For some travelers, the X factor that can get them to visit a new city has to do with works of art. (As someone who’s structured vacations around James Turrell skyspaces, I can relate.) So it isn’t shocking to learn that Banksy’s murals can spark an uptick in the number of visitors arriving in, say, small seaside towns in Britain or assorted international destinations. But if you’re planning to visit Venice to see one of two Banksy murals in all of Italy — you might want to wait just a little bit.

As The Art Newspaper‘s James Imam reports, the mural of a migrant child — painted in 2019 — has been removed from the side of a building in Venice. The reasons behind this, though, are encouraging for the work’s long-term stability. In other words, exposing a mural to the elements can result in it fading. Looking at photos of the mural, known as Migrant Child, from 2019 versus those from earlier this year show a dramatic change in its coloration.

Hence the work being done to remove the mural and restore it. According to The Art Newspaper, the owner of the building where the mural was painted, Banca Ifis, is providing financial support for the restoration effort. The task of actually returning the mural to its condition circa 2019 is being handled by Federico Borgogni, who has worked on Banksy’s art before. This action brings some closure to a debate that’s been going on since 2023.

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As for where art enthusiasts will be able to locate this mural once the restoration is complete, that’s a decision that remains up in the air. A spokesperson from Banca Ifis told The Art Newspaper, “We won’t be putting it in a closed museum. We need to evaluate a series of aspects with the restorer.”

This isn’t Banca Ifis’s first foray into fine art. The company also maintains a large sculpture garden near its headquarters, featuring work by an international lineup of artists.

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Tobias Carroll

Tobias Carroll lives and writes in New York City, and has been covering a wide variety of subjects — including (but not limited to) books, soccer and drinks — for many years. His writing has been published by the likes of the Los Angeles Times, Pitchfork, Literary Hub, Vulture, Punch, the New York Times and Men’s Journal. At InsideHook, he has…