An itinerary of the most famous street-art works in Venice is an absolutely original way to explore the city as it allows you to spot details that you would otherwise hardly notice.

A walk on the hunt for murals thus becomes the ideal opportunity to discover less-touristy areas of Venice, perhaps entering a street or crossing a canal you wouldn’t find on the more classic itineraries.

The Migrant Child by Banksy

This mural is probably the most famous one in Venice and it appeared on the night between 10 and 11 May 2019 during the opening days of the Art Biennale. The work is by the internationally-known artist, Banksy, and it depicts a migrant child wearing a life jacket and holding a smoke bomb in his hand that he directs to the sky.

The rebellion against injustice and the hope for a better future are the feelings that this work awakens. You can find it, surfacing the water, on the wall of a building on the San Pantalon canal, just a few steps from the homonymous church (which we suggest you visit).

The superheroines of Lediesis

The Venetian street art also includes works of female empowerment which, for the most part, we owe to Lediesis. This is a group of strictly anonymous artists who are covering Italian cities with well-known female personalities wearing superhero t-shirts.

In Venice we find three very interesting works: Frida Kahlo (in Calle Molin), Maria Callas (in Calle Contarini) and Peggy Guggenheim (in Calle della Chiesa).

credits veneziatoday.it

The blue Girl by Bronik

The Peruvian artist Bronik is famous for scattering murals depicting women across Barcelona and other cities. Her motto is “Women, you are art in all your shapes”. The blue Girl, with a typical Venetian gondola on her back, is located in Salizada San Giovanni Grisostomo.

Art can swim by Blub

Blub is a Florentine street artist whose identity remains unknown. The artist has become popular for a collection of works named Art can swim: murals that depict famous artists immersed in water, wearing a diving mask. A few examples are Van Gogh and Leonardo Da Vinci, or characters from famous paintings, such as the Mona Lisa.

The artist explained the meaning of these works with this quote: “Even though we may find ourselves in a sea of ​​difficulties, life ​​always provides us with the resources to learn how to swim. Art is one of them. I reinvent characters who are an example of greatness that has been surviving over the centuries.”

Venice is covered with works by Blub, which, in 2019, were exhibited in a gallery on the Giudecca. Some examples: La Dolcevita in Calle Larga XXII, Pompei at the entrance of the Acqua Alta bookshop, Vivaldi in Campiello S. Vidal.

credits nuovavenezia.gelocal.it

The Lovers by Nello Petrucci

The work is located in a courtyard not far from Rialto, Corte Teatro, on the facade of a restaurant. The message conveyed by the mural is catchy and pretty actual. The mural depicts the Italian playwright, Carlo Goldoni, throwing hearts (or rather likes, in social jargon) to a young couple while displaying the writing “Nice picture, Sad generation”.