Thanks to the important restoration work, the bronze statue will be returned to the city and visitors from all over the world, during the reopening of Ca’ Pesaro.

Purchased in 1956 at the Venetian exhibition by the Purchasing Committee of the Ca’ Pesaro International Gallery of Modern Art, the bronze statue of the Cardinaleby Giacomo Manzù, placed at the entrance of the Museum on the ground floor of the building, was damaged by the flood that struck Venice on 12 November 2019.

Targa Telematics, as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility activities, which have seen it engaged for many years in initiatives aimed at the social, sport and culture world, decided to support the Museum at such a special time for the city and the region and to finance the restoration of the work of the important Italian sculptor and painter whose artistic value is recognised worldwide.

“Seeing our Venice on its knees after last year’s flood deeply affected us. In recent years we have grown significantly internationally, with offices in Paris and London and with customers all over the world, but as a Veneto company it was natural for us to accept the request of Mrs. Gribaudi, President of Ca’ Pesaro, and to provide our contribution to the repair of the damage incurred by the Museum, financing the restoration of the seriously damaged statue of the Cardinal of Manzù”, says Adriano Scardellato, Chairman of Targa Telematics.. “Culture, innovation and training are the basis for boosting the economy and social development. Preservation of ourartistic heritage and support for the places that make it possible to enjoy it must be in the interest not only of politics, but also of all organisations which, like us, believe that their responsibilities also include those towards the community as a whole and not only towards their company”.

Manzù’s work is part of a series of bronze statues that the Italian artist created during his long artistic production, in particular between the 1940s and 1950s. Fascinated by the figure of the Cardinals, following a visit to the Vatican Basilica of St. Peter’s, they became an iconographic theme throughout his career. The first version of the subject dates back to 1939; subsequently, Giacomo Manzù expressed it with other works presented in numerous exhibitions, but it was at the 1956 Biennale that, together with fourteen other bronze sculptures, he presented two versions of the Cardinalfor the first time, one of which was to be housed at Ca’ Pesaro.

The restoration concerned not only the part directly damaged by the flood at the end of 2019, which involved the entire ground floor of Ca’ Pesaro where the work was located, but, after careful evaluation, the experts considered it should also be extended to other parts damaged by alterations due to degradation, decoating and crystallisation of previous surface treatments and oxidation: an important intervention, therefore, not only for maintenance, but also aimed at combating the degradation in progress, with particular reference to the kinetics of the oxidation and corrosion processes which necessitated the involvement of someone willing to bear the costs.

The work, which began at the end of February 2020, was subsequently suspended due to the SARS-CoV-2 emergency; resumed in May, the restoration of Manzù’s Cardinal was completed at the end of August.

TARGA TELEMATICS

Targa Telematics is an IT company with 20-year of experience in connected vehicles. It provides technological solutions in telematics, smart mobility and digital IoT platforms for mobility operators. The company addresses short and long-term renters, large finance companies and large fleet with a range of services from insurance telematics to asset and fleet management, remote diagnostics and telemetry for vehicles, professional and construction-site vehicles, through to the management of airport service vehicles. Con 500 mila asset connessi, Targa Telematics ha registrato un fatturato 2019 di 45 milioni di Euro, conta 120 dipendenti e più di 950 clienti. For more information: www.targatelematics.com.

TARGA TELEMATICS

Elena Bellini, Head of Marketing,Mobile. [+39] 335 135 1277 elena.belliniargatelematics.com

Susanne Furini, Communication Manager, Phone [+39] 345 7274925 susanne.furini@targatelematics.com

Barabino & Partners UK

Giuliana Patrone g.patrone@barabino.co.uk Tel.: 0044 (0)20 71526425 [+39] 334 6708127 l.basilico@barabino.it