• Culture.Banksy finances a boat to rescue migrants in the Mediterranean with a port in Burriana

Some would say that life without contradictions is not life. Let them tell Banksy, that urban artist as unknown as he is famous, who turns graffiti into works of art that sarcastically denounce the injustices of the world, but who end up starring in million-dollar auctions at Sotheby's. Maybe that's why he has no choice but to laugh at the buyer of the painting, incorporating a shredder that self-destructs the work. And using the profits of the lucrative art market to rescue people.

As he himself says, "there is nothing more dangerous than someone who wants to make the world a better place." At the moment, his money has been used to buy a rescue ship, the Louise Michel - in memory of the famous French anarchist, of course - with which he has already saved a total of 89 migrants from death at sea. Among them, 14 women and four children who were adrift in a boat through the waters of the Mediterranean.

The Louise Michel left in secret on August 18 from the small Castellón port of Burriana . In the municipality, nobody imagined that behind the striking pink color of the helmet was Banksy's signature. No one suspected the drawing of that girl in a life jacket holding a heart-shaped float. The same girl who destroyed herself in that auction room while pointing at a balloon.

Had Banksy been to Burriana? It was the question that was being asked yesterday in the Castellón City Council, without anyone being able to give a concrete answer. In a recent interview with The Guardian , the ship's captain, Pia Klemp, explained that this former French Navy vessel was able to be customized and adapted to rescue tasks thanks to the donation of the enigmatic British artist, who contacted her by email to ask him to buy a boat with which to rescue migrants. Said and done.

The German-flagged Louise Michel had arrived on June 23 at the port of Burriana, in whose shipyard it remained with three other humanitarian ships, such as the Open Arms . In fact, it was not the first time that the latter arrived here to be repaired at these facilities.

In addition, sources from the Generalitat Valenciana - on which the Castellón port depends - confirmed that these vessels have been given "all the facilities" to settle here for humanitarian reasons. For example, they benefit from exemption from paying port fees .

In the case of the Louise Michel, the amount of the fee would amount to 1,050 euros, but the bonus is applied for being from an NGO, according to the sources consulted.

Banksy's ship, as this newspaper has learned, has not requested authorization to return to Burriana . It is unknown if she will return. Quite a mystery ... for a change.

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

Know more

  • Open arms
  • culture
  • Castellon

CulturaBanksy finances a boat to rescue migrants in the Mediterranean with a port in Burriana

PoliticsVox denounces that vessels that "pick up immigrants" do not pay port taxes while fishermen do not fish

Seville Postponed the opening of the XXI Bienal de Flamenco

See links of interest

  • Last News
  • English translator
  • TV programming
  • Quixote
  • Work calendar
  • Daily horoscope
  • Santander League Standings
  • League schedule
  • Movies TV
  • Topics