It's called "In touch with art" "In connessione con l'arte" and it is the new Fastweb initiative implemented as part of its welfare programme for all employees, in which contemporary art comes directly into the company. Art serves as a driver for all of the processes of innovation, for the technological solutions prepared and for their implementation, the result of collaboration between various skills and elements of creativity, an artist on one side and technical experts, artisans, academics and workers on the other. And that is exactly what is happening at Fastweb.
Created in association with the cultural association Casa Testori, the agency K words and with the support of the gallery Abc-arte in Genoa, the initiative was launched with the installation of some works by the Milanese artist Matteo Negri at the entrances to the four most important Fastweb offices, in Milan, Rome and Bari, and which will remain on display until 21 February.
The starting point of the initiative is to offer employees the chance to interact in an innovative and stimulating way with contemporary art. The choice of the works by Matteo Negri was no chance occurrence. His creations succeed in stimulating questions and curiosity in the public, particularly his "L'Ego" series (a play on words of "The Ego" in Italian), made up of sculptures which, through a reference to Lego bricks evoke the grid compositions by Piet Mondrian, one of the greatest artists of the twentieth century. These works attract interest precisely owing to the complexity that lies behind their apparent simplicity.
The works of Negri, who despite being just 35 years old is already one of the most popular Italian artists on the international art scene, transmit energy and stimulate the imagination, not only because of their aesthetic component but also owing to their innovation, which succeeds in touching and triggering thought processes that lead to the creation of surprising formal solutions. These positive and contagious mechanisms are capable of setting in motion the creativity of those who come into contact with them.
The "In touch with art" initiative is being developed through the involvement of Fastweb employees who wish to interact with the works. Through the hashtag #artforme, for example, employees can post a photo of the work or with the work on the social networks. Furthermore, just for fun and to gain some knowledge, they can take part in a quiz on art world facts, the aim of which is to bring people closer to this world.
At the end of the exhibition week, those employees who are interested will take part in a series of meetings with the artist, to continue the dialogue live and direct, which is also an exploration of a world that is not far away but touching on the everyday world of work. The planned dates are 15 and 16 February in the Milan offices, Monday, 19 February in the Rome office and the last one on Tuesday, 20 February in the Bari office.