An artwork suspected to be by British street artist has appeared in Venice during the Biennale.
The artwork, which can be found in the Dorsoduro district, depicts a migrant child in a life jacket holding a burning neon pink flare. The work hovers just above the water of the canal.
The mural is believed to have been painted at the start of the Venice Biennale — a prestigious annual art exhibition which showcases the work of some of the world's most renowned artists.
Despite having all the characteristics of a Banksy piece, the artist is yet to claim the mural, as it has not appeared on their official Instagram account or website. Pest Control, Banksy’s authenticating body, is also yet to respond to the artwork.
Banksy is known for addressing the refugee crisis in his work. In 2015 he created a remote-control boat filled with refugees, which featured at his alternative theme park Dismaland. The same year, at "the Jungle" refugee camp in Calais, he painted Steve Jobs with a black bin bag over one shoulder and an original Apple computer in his hand.
Themes of migration and immigration can be seen across a number of works at this year’s Venice Biennale, including a piece by Swiss-Icelandic artist Christoph Büchel. His controversial installation called Barca Nostra (Our Boat) is a rusting fishing vessel, which sank off the Libyan coast in 2015, killing more than 700 people.
The work has received criticism due to its lack of context and positioning, among unaware tourists.
