Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on June 17, 2025
1 min readLast updated: January 23, 2026
Add as preferred source on GoogleScaffolding is erected in Venice to restore Banksy's 'Migrant Child' mural. Banca Ifis funds the project, transforming the building into an exhibition space.
VENICE (Reuters) -Scaffolding went up in Venice on Tuesday to restore a mural by the elusive street artist Banksy that had appeared on the side of a 17th century building in the lagoon city six years ago.
"Migrant Child" shows a boy wearing a life jacket and holding a pink flare, representing the artist's support for migrant sea rescue charities.
But being exposed to Venice's notorious humidity and painted on the canal-facing side of a crumbling palazzo, it was in danger of fading into oblivion.
The building, unoccupied when Banksy worked on it, was bought last year by an Italian bank that is now funding its entire restoration, mural included.
Banca Ifis is planning to turn the Palazzo San Pantalon into an exhibition space linked to the Venice Biennale art fair, it said in a statement.
The three-story building is in the Dorsoduro neighbourhood, near Venice's main university. The well-known Zaha Hadid Architects studio is working on the renovation project.
(Reporting by Manuel Silvestr; Writing by Alvise Armellini; Editing by Gavin Jones and Mark Porter)
The mural, titled 'Migrant Child', shows a boy wearing a life jacket and holding a pink flare, representing the artist's support for migrant sea rescue charities.
The mural is being restored due to its exposure to Venice's humidity and its location on a crumbling palazzo, which put it in danger of fading.
The restoration is being funded by Banca Ifis, which purchased the building where the mural is located.
Banca Ifis plans to turn the Palazzo San Pantalon into an exhibition space linked to the Venice Biennale art fair.
The well-known Zaha Hadid Architects studio is working on the renovation project for the building.
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