British street artist Banksy is well-known for his use of public art to support social causes. The plight of refugees is particularly close to his heart and he recently put his money behind a boat that rescues African refugees stuck at sea as they try to reach Europe. The Louise Michel is a former French navy boat that's been customized for search and rescue. Painted pink, it also features a Banksy image of a girl holding a heart-shaped life vest.
Banksy first got involved in the project in 2019, when he sent an email to Pia Kemp. Kemp is a German activist who has captained many humanitarian ships and is currently facing up to 20 years in prison in Italy for rescuing 1,000 migrants from drowning in the Meditteranean.
For Kemp, the email came as a surprise and, initially, she thought it was a joke. The message read: “Hello Pia, I’ve read about your story in the papers. You sound like a badass. I am an artist from the UK and I’ve made some work about the migrant crisis, obviously I can’t keep the money. Could you use it to buy a new boat or something? Please let me know. Well done. Banksy.”