AleXsandro Palombo’s Holocaust mural at the Shoah Memorial in Milan was completely defaced in an act of “antisemitic fury” on Sunday, the artist told The Jerusalem Post.
The work, The Jewish Simpsons Deported to Auschwitz, which depicts the famous cartoon family as deportees to Auschwitz, received international recognition after its unveiling in January 2023.
Now, however, there is very little left of the original artwork. The paintwork was stripped off, and the remaining image was daubed with the words “Free Pal” in red paint.
“Little remains of the iconic work: only a grave antisemitic defacement, which has transformed a tribute to memory into an expression of hatred,” Palombo said.
The contemporary pop artist added that the mural – with its culturally familiar Simpsons-style image – was a vital educational tool. By using the unmistakable style of the Simpsons, Palombo said he was able to speak directly to younger generations.
“In a time when living survivors are becoming fewer, employing the universal language of cartoons is a key tool for educating young people and fostering a shared historical conscience.”
Palombo told the Post that this is the sixth antisemitic attack on this artwork in just two years. When asked if he would restore the work, he replied that he believes “it should remain in its current state – marked by violence – because it visually represents the antisemitic fury spreading through our cities.
“Leaving the artwork in this condition can serve as a warning, a public statement, a wake-up call for policymakers: It’s time to introduce stronger laws and implement concrete actions to combat antisemitism.”
Palombo also said he is considering donating these works to international museum institutions “so they can be protected and preserved as historical documents bearing witness to the brutality of our time.”
Despite repeated incidents of vandalism, as well as intimidation and death threats, Palombo said he would continue his work “without backing down.”
“These attacks on my art do not intimidate me; on the contrary, they reinforce my determination.”
Italy's response to antisemitism
A wider question surrounds the prosecution and prevention of future defacement attempts.
“Identifying the perpetrators of these actions is very difficult. They operate in the shadows and know exactly what they’re doing,” Palombo said.
However, according to him, the real issue is that “Italy still lacks a strong, organized response to antisemitism.“If swift and decisive action is not taken, we risk facing a serious social crisis. The ongoing acts of violence against my work may soon escalate into physical aggression. These individuals have clearly lost all restraint. And this dangerous escalation is being underestimated.”
He added that in recent months, he has received numerous threats from students involved in pro-Palestinian movements, even from the University of Milan.
“There, I had created a piece in memory of the October 7 massacre carried out by Hamas. It depicted the desperate escape of Vlada Patapov at the Nova festival. The day after I received threatening messages from student groups, the mural was vandalized, and Vlada’s head [in the painting] was decapitated.
“I believe the Italian government, and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in particular, should enact an emergency decree: students who commit such serious acts of hatred should be expelled.”
Palombo said universities must be places of education, dialogue, and mutual respect – not breeding grounds for extremism.
“Italy is the richest country in the world in terms of cultural and historical heritage; our universities should reflect this great beauty, not become theaters of ideological hatred. If action is not taken now, we risk deeper radicalization and severe social consequences in the near future.”
Prior incidents
Palombo’s murals of Liliana Segre, Sami Modiano, and Edith Bruck – three of the last living Italian Holocaust survivors – have all been vandalized in recent years.
Following the defacement of the mural portraying her, Senator for Life Liliana Segre said: “They took away my face, my identity, and they erased the yellow star – but they left the number tattooed on my arm.”
Writer and Auschwitz survivor Edith Bruck said, “The mural lives, it must live, precisely because it was vandalized. And with it, everything connected to memory and to what I personally experienced will live on.
“After being defaced, it has truly come to life: it lives because it has returned to Rome, where I live; it lives because it was erased in Milan.”