A Controversial Salvage Operation Begins
A major conservation effort is now underway in Venice to restore one of the city’s most iconic pieces of street art: Migrant Child by the elusive artist Banksy. The intervention, led by Banca Ifis in partnership with Zaha Hadid Architects, has reignited the debate between preserving street art as cultural artwork and respecting its inherently ephemeral nature.
Venice, "The Migrant Child" by Banksy
A Nighttime Operation in the Venetian Lagoon
The restoration process began discreetly during the night between July 23 and 24, 2025. Local police temporarily halted nighttime navigation through the Rio de Ca’ Foscari canal, surrounding Palazzo San Pantalon, to allow for the delicate removal of part of the wall where the artwork is located. The section was transported via motorboats, in accordance with a municipal ordinance.
Originally intended to be restored in situ, the mural will instead be transferred temporarily to a conservation lab. This decision was made to ensure a safer and more precise restoration process. The relocation uses the traditional Italian technique known as strappo, which involves placing a special canvas over the painted surface and carefully extracting a layer of wall beneath it to preserve the paint.
Cultural and Architectural Forces Behind the Project
Promoted by art critic and former Undersecretary of Culture Vittorio Sgarbi, the project is entirely funded by Banca Ifis, which owns the building where the artwork is displayed. Collaborating in the restoration are Zaha Hadid Architects, Th&Ma Architettura, and engineers Sabbadin and Gasparini.
The restoration is part of the broader Ifis Art initiative, which aims to transform Palazzo San Pantalon into a dynamic new exhibition space. The goal is to create an accessible venue for emerging Italian and international street artists, while also preserving key urban artworks like Banksy’s.
Banca Ifis emphasizes the social importance of Migrant Child, seeing it not only as a piece of street art but as a powerful symbol of human rights and immigration struggles. During the 2024 Venice Art Biennale, a digital projection reading “Human Rights First” was shown on the same wall each night between April and May—an early signal of the exhibition space’s new mission.
Restoration for Banksy in Venice:
Banca Ifis Recovers the Artwork and Revamps
Palazzo San Pantalon
Restoration for Banksy in Venice:
Banca Ifis Recovers the Artwork and Revamps
Palazzo San Pantalon
Criticism and Ethical Debate Over the Restoration
Despite the high-profile backing and careful planning, the project has drawn criticism from both art critics and local professionals. The Association of Venetian Architects denounced the intervention, stating that restoring or relocating street art like Banksy’s goes against its original intent. According to them, such artworks are meant to age, erode, or even vanish—mirroring the fragile lives of the migrants it represents.
Some street artists, including Evyrein, argue that street art’s core identity lies in its impermanence. These creators believe that once an artwork is altered, restored, or placed in an institutional context, it loses its authenticity and becomes a product of cultural commodification.
Art historians and critics have also warned that removing the mural from its original setting strips it of context and meaning. They suggest that transforming street art into a conserved object for public display inside an exhibition space may sanitize its political message, undermining the raw spontaneity that defines the genre.
The start of the securing operations for the artwork before its removal,
last June 17, in Venice.
A New Role for Street Art in Venice
Whether seen as preservation or appropriation, the restoration of Migrant Child opens up broader conversations about the role of street art in historical cities like Venice. As the city continues to balance tourism, tradition, and innovation, projects like this one reveal the complex challenges of integrating street art into urban cultural policy.
While the artwork will eventually return to its original location or be featured within the new exhibition space at Palazzo San Pantalon, the debate over how to treat such works in a city of enduring heritage is far from over. In the end, the project highlights the tension between institutional conservation and the fleeting beauty of art created for the streets.
