Banksy's surprise appearance in Piazza San Marco, Venice
The latest performance of the mysterious English artist
Art & Design
May 23rd, 2019
May 23rd, 2019
In the last few days, Venetians have been asking themselves if the mural depicting a child with a life jacket and a smoke bomb in his hand appeared in Rio Novo, near Campo Santa Margherita, had been made by Banksy or not.
Yesterday we had confirmation, the English artist is actually in the lagoon. The mysterious street artist indirectly announces it by posting a video on his Instagram account with the caption “Setting out my stall at the Venice Biennale. Despite being the largest and most prestigious art event in the world, for some reason I’ve never been invited.”
In the images, in fact, there is no reference to the artwork portraying the young refugee, but we see the writer wearing a rumpled trench coat and a hat on his face in order not to be recognized, set up among the painters of St. Mark's Square a painting consisting of a series of oil paintings entitled Venice in oil. The subject is a huge cruise ship that passes through the lagoon of San Marco. Clearly a condemnation against these giants of the sea that threaten the delicate balance and safety of the lagoon ecosystem.
Some pedestrians comment enthusiastically on the picture, while others do not appreciate it. However, eventually the city police arrives, inviting Banksy (obviously without being aware of who he really is) to leave because he had no authorization.
