Show Biz Ruined Me — Pao, Rome
Show Biz Ruined Me
Pao · Painted street electrical cabinet · Rome, Italy
Photo from Street Art Utopia’s archive, published on 3 April 2012; its caption names Pao as the artist and gives no photographer. Complex’s 2012 report credits the image to “Drlima”. Full photograph shown.
In 2012 the Italian street artist Pao turned an electric cabinet in Rome into SpongeBob SquarePants, out of work and down on his luck. Pao’s own archive titles it “Show biz ruined me”; the cardboard sign at the cabinet’s foot says the same, and a cap waits for coins. paopao.it · I Love Graffiti · Neatorama Checked
5 things to know
- The artist’s own recordPao’s website lists the work as “Show biz ruined me”, 2012, Rome, on an electric cabinet: “Spongebob painted on a Electric cabinet in the streets of Rome, Italy.” paopao.it · I Love Graffiti Checked
- A beggar’s propsNeatorama described an “out of work SpongeBob SquarePants, complete with beggar’s sign and collection hat”; both are on the pavement in our photograph. Neatorama · Street Art Utopia Checked
- Around the web in two weeksStreet Art Utopia posted the photograph on 3 April 2012. JazJaz ran it on 14 April, Neatorama on 16 April and Complex on 17 April, under the headline “SpongeBob Falls On Hard Times In Italy”. Street Art Utopia · JazJaz · Neatorama · Complex Checked
- From the theatre to the streetPao is Paolo Bordino, born in Milan in 1977. He trained in the theatre as a machine operator, sound engineer and stage technician, and turned to street art around 2000. Mondadori Group Reported
- Objects into creaturesJazJaz introduced Pao as the founder of Studio Paopao, who turns everyday urban objects into colourful creatures. A 2017 Mondadori release describes his “Panettoni”, road blockers turned into penguins and other characters. JazJaz · Mondadori Group Reported
Check-in guide
- 📍
- Rome, Italy: Pao’s archive says “in the streets of Rome”. paopao.it Checked
- 🧭
- The exact street is Unconfirmed, so the map button opens central Rome.
- 🕰️
- Painted street furniture rarely lasts; the newest dated evidence we found is from October 2012. Whether it is still there is Unconfirmed.
Sightings
- 20123 Apr
Photo published by Street Art Utopia
- 201214 Apr
JazJaz post
- 201216 Apr
Neatorama post
- 201217 Apr
Complex report
- 201217 Oct
I Love Graffiti post
The green stamp is the earliest dated publication of a photograph of the work that we found. Amber stamps are later posts and reports. All of them show the same 2012 photograph. The status stamp follows the newest of these dates, 17 October 2012; we found no later dated view.
On the record
The artist’s caption
“Spongebob painted on a Electric cabinet in the streets of Rome, Italy.”
Pao’s own archive entry, which gives the title as “Show biz ruined me”.
Out of work in Bikini Bottom
“It was very clever of Italian street artist Pao to paint on an electrical box”
The post goes on to describe the beggar’s sign and collection hat.
SpongeBob Falls On Hard Times In Italy
“Street artist Pao takes a cheeky stab at cartoon legend.”
The subheading of Complex’s short report.
The facts
- Work
- SpongeBob SquarePants painted on a street electric cabinet, with a cardboard sign and a cap on the pavement. paopao.it · Neatorama Checked
- Title
- “Show biz ruined me” in Pao’s archive. paopao.it Checked The sign itself, JazJaz, Complex and I Love Graffiti write it “Showbiz ruined me”. JazJaz · Complex · I Love Graffiti Checked
- Artist
- Pao. paopao.it · I Love Graffiti · Neatorama · Complex Checked Real name Paolo Bordino, born in Milan in 1977. Mondadori Group Reported
- Year
- 2012. paopao.it Checked It was online by 3 April 2012. Street Art Utopia Checked
- City
- Rome, Italy. paopao.it · I Love Graffiti · Street Art Utopia Checked
- Street
- None of the sources names the street. Unconfirmed
- Status
- Seen October 2012, the date of the newest post we found (I Love Graffiti). We found no later dated photograph, so whether the painted cabinet is still there is Unconfirmed.
- Photograph
- Street Art Utopia archive image published on 3 April 2012, with no photographer named. Street Art Utopia Complex’s report of 17 April 2012 credits the same image to “Drlima”. Complex Reported The capture date is Unconfirmed.
Related
- Public Notices Gone Off Script (8 Photos): the SAU collection that includes this work.
- Street Art by Pao in Rome, Italy: SAU’s original 2012 post.
- Mr. Magoo by Pao, Milan: another Pao character, with its own Artwork File.
All sources (7)
The artist
- paopao.it: Spongebob in Rome, Pao’s own archive. Title “Show biz ruined me”, 2012, Rome, electric cabinet.
- Mondadori Group: St-Art Art for All presents Pao, Penguin Heroes, 2017 press release. Real name, birth in Milan in 1977, theatre training, street art from around 2000, penguins on road blockers.
Reports and posts from 2012
- Street Art Utopia: Street Art by Pao in Rome, Italy, 3 April 2012. The photograph shown here; the caption names Pao as the artist.
- JazJaz: Spongebob ruined by showbiz, Daniel, 14 April 2012. “Showbiz ruined me” by Pao; Pao as founder of Studio Paopao.
- Neatorama: SpongeBob Ruined By Showbiz Street Art, Zeon Santos, 16 April 2012. Electrical box, beggar’s sign and collection hat.
- Complex: SpongeBob Falls On Hard Times In Italy, Nick Schonberger, 17 April 2012. Pao, Italy.
- I Love Graffiti: Showbiz ruined me, 17 October 2012. “by Pao in Rome”.
Artwork File · Last checked 9 November 2026 · Certainty labels follow How We Verify Art · All Artwork Files