Art and charity come together – Vodafone adopts a cow to be decorated by one of the artists whose works are on display at the Hurtado Centre in the Scampia district of Naples

Naples, 22 April 2008 - Vodafone Italia is sponsoring the Cow Parade, a major international contemporary art event to be held in Naples and Capri from 11 May to 11 July 2008, confirming its support for important cultural and social initiatives throughout Italy. The herd of fibreglass cows adopted by the sponsors and decorated by artists will be sold at a charity auction, to be run by Sotheby’s, in favour of the Cannavaro - Ferrara Foundation.

Vodafone aims to go beyond traditional links with culture and take advantage of its network of local relations to foster innovation and creativity and reinforce its commitment to charitable initiatives in the Region. The cow to be “adopted” by Vodafone will in fact be decorated by one of the artists whose works are on display at the Hurtado Centre in the Scampia district in the northern suburbs of Naples, an area perpetually on a knife edge between legality and lawlessness, thus offering the artist further opportunity to make their mark in an international context.

The idea derives from the “Let’s build ourselves a future” project promoted and sponsored by the Vodafone Italia Foundation in collaboration with Campania Regional Authority, the Naples Provincial Authority and the Society of Jesus, and focusing on the Scampia district. Besides presenting various educational, training and work induction initiatives, the project promotes the use of art as a form of expression and communication by setting up workshops conceived as a step towards the creation of art centres, where young people can develop an interest in the various artistic techniques and get off the streets.

The Cow Parade will set up a similar workshop in Via Caracciolo, where the artists involved will be engaged in decorating the cows, thus enabling visitors to directly participate in the creation of works of art, whose value reached the record sum of €1 million at last year’s auction.

For further information visit:
www.vodafone.it
www.fondazionevodafone.it
www.cowparadecapri.it

Press Office: Letizia Nassuato 3480093606