Andrea Villa's Fake Salvini Poster Blurs Art and Politics in Turin

In September 2018, anonymous street artist Andrea Villa, known as the 'Italian Banksy,' installed a fake political poster in Turin depicting Matteo Salvini with the slogan 'Basta terroni! Fuori dall'Italia' (Enough southerners! Out of Italy). The poster mimicked the Lega leader's Facebook profile photo and party symbols, causing confusion in the era of fake news. Villa's work references Salvini's early anti-southern rhetoric, contrasting with his later pivot to attract southern votes. The poster also promoted Villa's solo exhibition 'Bestiario' at Galleria Comodo64, opening September 20, 2018, at via Bologna 92/A. The show features reworked Instagram photos blending reality and imagination. Villa's previous work in June 2018, 'Affamati di affamati,' reimagined Géricault's 'The Raft of the Medusa' with vulture-like politicians, critiquing the government's immigration policies during the Aquarius and Diciotti ship incidents.