On various occasions, OPEN CARE has offered its commitment and experience in the field of art, participating and supporting a number of important initiatives in favour of projects promoted by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR).

In 2009, the Servizi per l’Arte company collaborated with UNHCR in the creation of the eighth edition of “Contemporary Art for refugees”, the fund raising initiative supporting the “Water for Refugees” project aimed at ensuring the supply and distribution of water to over 125 thousand refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo and Burundi hosted in three UNHCR camps in Tanzania.

Duringthe modern and contemporary art auction by Sotheby’s in Milan, who made themselves available for the project, paintings, works on photographic supports, installations, videos and sculptures were presented to the public. Some were specifically made for UNHCR and collected by Open Care who identified the artists, curated the organisation of the auction and the preparation of a catalogue and, furthermore, organised a preview for the presentation of the works in its own offices at the Frigoriferi Milanesi.

Amongst the artists involved, who donated their works and supported the initiative, there were some of the best on the international scene: Alfredo Jaar, Nedko Solakov, Tomas Saraceno, Kimsooja, Lucy + Jorge Orta, Grazia Toderi, Adrian Paci, Liliana Moro, Cesare Pietroiusti, Marcello Maloberti, Simone Berti, Francesco Jodice, Claudio Gobbi, Flavio Favelli, Christian Frosi, Andrea Sala, Federico Pietrella, Alessandra Spranzi, Gea Casolaro, A12, Roberto Bernardi & Raphaella Spence and Moira Ricci. 

In 2010, OPEN CARE, once again, made its experience available in favour of UNHCR.

In fact, the Milanese company received the mandate for the sale of the work Horse, 1944 by Jackson Pollock, owned by an Italian private collector, which was offered for sale in the modern and contemporary art auction in Christie’s prestigious New York location.

Part of the proceeds was devolved to the UNHCR to provide health assistance and emergency repairs to the around 2 million victims of the Pakistan floods. The Christie’s auction house supported the project by forgoing their commission on the part destined to UNHCR.

The work, furthermore, was presented in preview in Open Care’s offices, in an evening event dedicated to the refugees, in the presence of Giulio Sangiuliano, Specialist in Christie’s Department of Modern and Contemporary Art. Also taking part in the evening were Laura Boldrini – then UNHCR spokesperson – who, with the journalist Tiziana Ferrario, presented her book “Tutti indietro. Storie di uomini e donne in fuga e di un’Italia tra paura e solidarietà” (Rizzoli, 2010). Sayed, a young Afghan refugee to whom a chapter of the book is dedicated also took part.