Mimmo Paladino's Porta di Lampedusa wrapped in Christo-style prank

Mimmo Paladino's 5-meter-high sculpture 'Porta di Lampedusa-Porta d'Europa', installed in 2008 on the island of Lampedusa, was wrapped and sealed with black tarps and adhesive tape on the night of June 2-3, 2020. The artist does not consider the act vandalism but a tribute to Christo, suggesting the perpetrators were inspired by the artist's famous wrapping projects. Lampedusa mayor Totò Martello filed a police report, calling the act mean-spirited and humiliating. Paladino, however, absolves the anonymous wrappers, viewing the gesture as a goliardic act that elevates the work to the status of a monument. He notes that the work has become a symbol of the ongoing migrant tragedy, contrary to his original intention as a welcoming portal. The sculpture, made of refractory ceramic and galvanized iron, has deteriorated due to saltwater exposure and requires conservative restoration. Paladino plans to travel to Lampedusa for the restoration, which will preserve the transformations and wounds of time. He draws parallels to his earlier work 'La Montagna di Sale', which also faced public interventions, such as when AC Milan fans climbed it in 2011. Paladino embraces the ephemeral nature of public art, citing Christo's influence and the principle of precariousness in contemporary art.