A fading Banksy mural in Venice has been removed from the side of a palazzo for restoration, according to The Associated Press, two years after officials first sparked debate by introducing the unconventional option. Titled Migrant Child, the piece shows a child in a lifejacket holding a pink smoke flare. It appeared without notice on the Palazzo San Pantalon during the 2019 Venice Biennale and was later claimed by Banksy, becoming an unofficial tourist attraction along the Rio di San Pantalon.By 2023, water damage and salt exposure had begun eroding the mural, prompting Italy’s culture ministry to propose a restoration, and drawing criticism from artists, activists, and even some art historians. “Banksy was no fool,” the street artist Evyrein told Euronews at the time. “He was fully aware that his waterside creation wasn’t meant to endure. Restoring it goes against the grain.” Others called for consultation with the artist or local community before intervening, arguing the work’s decay was part of its meaning.Those warnings went unheeded. Late Wednesday night, a conservation team led by Federico Borgogni removed a section of the palazzo’s wall where the mural was painted. The project was financed by Banca Ifis, a Venice-based bank that promotes art and culture, which said it consulted with people “close to” Banksy but did not confirm direct permission. The bank plans to display the work at free cultural events after restoration, though no date or cost has been made public.Despite not qualifying for state protection—Italy typically only intervenes on behalf of artworks over 70 years old—the mural received special attention after lobbying from Venice’s mayor and the Veneto region’s president. Culture ministry undersecretary Vittorio Sgarbi took credit for securing funding in 2023, stating at the time: “We are not interested in whether the author is alive nor whether he gives us consent… It is my job to protect [contemporary art].”Whether Migrant Child needed protection, or was already doing its job by slowly vanishing, remains unresolved.