Artist faces death threats over Vinícius Júnior  caricature at Valencia exhibition

An artist in Spain has received death threats after unveiling a satirical caricature of Real Madrid forward Vinícius Júnior at a regional event in Valencia.

The artwork, created by Víctor Navarro for the Ninot Exhibition as part of the Fallas 2025 festival, depicts the Brazilian star holding a golden turd, humorously titled “Caca d’Or”.

The piece, a reference to Vinícius finishing as runner-up in the 2024 Ballon d’Or, has sparked outrage, leading to widespread criticism and threats against the artist.

Navarro described the backlash as “the most surreal week of my life” and addressed the controversy in a statement.

After being wished dead and receiving all sorts of insults on social media from people who don’t even know me, I’ve decided to put an end to the discussion.

I won’t waste another second explaining to those who aren’t interested what the Fallas festival is, the work of the Falleros artists, or the nature of humor—something that is entirely subjective.

Festival organisers defend artwork

As the controversy escalated, the president of the Fallas festival, Vicente Rodríguez, defended the artistic nature of the exhibit in an interview with Marca.

He emphasized that the sculpture was not intended as an attack on Vinícius but rather as part of the long-standing tradition of satire within the festival.

Valencia-based artist Victor Navarro has submitted his entry for the Ninots exhibition of ‘the golden crap’. The Ninots are part of the Les Falles festival, in which hundreds of figures are created, and two are saved from the burning of the figures in March. (Diario AS) pic.twitter.com/wV1B4VcdZu

— Football España (@footballespana_) January 27, 2025

For a Valencian, having a Ninot is a symbol of pride.

We invite Vinícius to visit the Fallas and see the statue for himself.

These works are never created with bad intentions.

The Fallas are about satire and social critique,” Rodríguez stated.

The incident adds to the already tense relationship between Vinícius Júnior and Valencia, where the Brazilian has previously been the target of racist abuse during La Liga matches.