In Venice forced restoration of a work of Banksy creates controversy

The Italian Ministry of Culture wants to restore a work of Banksy, while some artists consider that it should be left to gradually deteriorate. On the wall of an abandoned Venetian palace, a child, painted with black spray paint, wearing a life jacket and carrying a torch in his hand, rises from the waves. Presented during the 2019 Contemporary Art Biennial, the work of Banksy it has become yet another tourist attraction in the Doge City. But due to humidity and salt, it is disappearing.

Concerned about this phenomenon, the owner of the palace began by asking the Sopraintendenza dei Beni Culturali, the Italian institution that deals with cultural heritage, to intervene. Sopraintendenza declared itself incompetent to deal with such a recent work, so the president of the City Council, Luigi Brugnaro, and the president of the Veneto region, Luca Zaia, contacted Vittorio Sgarbi, undersecretary of Culture in Giorgia Meloni's government. He then took charge of restoring the work, known as "L'Enfant Migrant", thanks to private financing granted by an Italian bank.

The work of Banksy in Venice must be restored? Vittorio Sgarbi, Undersecretary of Culture, is convinced. In Venice, the issue is controversial. Guides, architects, artists and professionals have more nuanced opinions.
"The lower part of Venetian palaces, in contact with the water, is known in architecture as the sacrifice zone", explains Monica Gambarotto, a tourist guide in Venice." It is generally left uncovered and unpainted to prevent water from the canal rise and be absorbed by the coating.
Therefore, it is not surprising that the "Migrant Boy", dotted with constantly passing water taxis, is gradually disappearing. The Rio Novo, where the stencil is located, is one of the busiest in the city, connecting the train station to the Grand Canal. The passage of motor boats causes what the Venetians call "moto ondoso", waves that erode the lagoon.

Following the proposal from the Undersecretary of Culture, local artists and architects were quick to react. Evyrein, a local artist whose stenciled characters resemble those of the Anglo-Saxon artist, was furious: "Banksy It's not stupid, he knew very well that, when he created his work along the water, it was not destined to last. There's no point in restoring it!
"I was moved by the gesture, but in the end the result was worse. If I were asked to touch a colleague's work, I would refuse, unless I had their agreement", says the artist.

For Rosanna Carrieri, activist at Mi Riconosci, an association of professionals in the cultural sector, it is above all essential to raise the issue with the people concerned. " Before carrying out a restoration operation, it is essential to consult the artist, but also the local community, otherwise it could just be an operation from above, taking advantage of the reputation of Banksy", he states.

Source: Euronews