About the "Louise Michel" project
The M.V. Louise Michel, named after the French anarchist and feminist of the same name, is a civilian high-speed vessel that has been patrolling the central Mediterranean since 2020 to rescue migrants in distress at sea.
The ship itself comes from the French customs authority and, at up to 28 knots, is more than twice as fast as the large civilian rescue ships. The M.V. Louise Michel was purchased by British street artist Banksy. He is said to have painted the 30-metre-long ship pink with the help of a fire extinguisher.
The motif: a little girl wearing a life jacket and holding a heart-shaped lifebuoy in her hand. It is reminiscent of Banksy's famous "Girl with Balloon".
"Like most people who have made it in the art world, I bought a yacht to sail around the Mediterranean," Banksy wrote ironically in an Instagram video at the time. The M.V. Louise Michel sails under the German flag and is supported by Sea-Watch, the German association based in Berlin, whose purpose is to rescue refugees in distress in the Mediterranean.
Donation project in our exhibition
Operating a rescue ship incurs enormous costs: Harbor fees, spare parts, maintenance of the ship, supplies for the crew, travel costs, etc. To support this important work, our exhibition "The Mystery of Banksy - A Genius Mind" makes an important contribution at each location! Each exhibition set dedicates a separate area to the M.V. Louise Michel project with prints, photographs, sculptures, video installations and background information. A donation box there invites all visitors to support this project financially. The proceeds will be doubled by us and 100% donated to "Handbreit - nautical safety solutions", the owner of the ship.