Banksy has left his mark in Venice too. On the occasion of the Biennale, the well-known street artist invited himself along, leaving two works, as he announced on his Instagram profile. The first work appeared on 13 May 2019 on the peeling wall of a building in Campo San Pantalon, in the Santa Croce sestiere, and depicts a child wearing a life jacket and brandishing a flare used to signal one's presence in an emergency: clearly a migrant. The second work, more complex, appeared in the alleyways a few days later on 22 May, and is instead a clear denunciation of the large ships that dock in the city.

Banksy in Venice, now it's official

The official confirmation came, as usual, via social media — this time with a video showing the disguised artist "exhibiting" a collage of paintings depicting an enormous cruise ship presumably sailing along the Grand Canal, obscuring the view of the city, including St Mark's, and navigating among tiny gondoliers.

In the video, many people can be seen stopping, struck no doubt by the artist's work, but also by the message: this is clear from the words of passers-by. One wonders whether any of those photographing it with their phones later recognised him. The local police certainly did not — dutiful as ever, they asked, in English with a strong Venetian accent, "the autorisation". Banksy, clearly without one, was therefore forced to gather up his work, load it onto a painter's trolley and leave the city. In the background, the large ship docked at the Tronchetto.

Banksy and that work about shipwreck survivors

Last Friday came the second confirmation: the child depicted holding a torch was also drawn by Banksy's hand. The work painted on the wall of a building for sale will in all likelihood drive up its price. According to local newspapers, Mayor Brugnaro reportedly requested an artistic preservation order, so as to prevent anyone from erasing or removing it.