VENICE – The Civic Museums Foundation of Venice (MUVE) responded to an appeal from the Lviv Museums by deciding to immediately send special packaging materials to protect the rich artistic heritage of the Ukrainian city from the actions of war, said multimedia agency ComunicareVenezia.

 The MUVE foundation is working with  Municipality of Venice to help the  National Gallery of Arts and other museums in Lviv as part of the ‘Save Ukraine Art 2022’ project, by sending special materials to  protect the works of art from excessive vibrations or accidental shocks.

 President of MUVE foundation Mariacristina Gribaudi highlighted that the Ukrainian city has an enormous artistic patrimony, consisting of 65,000 artworks and 2,000 sculptures which are stored in the deposits, but are not adequately protected against war. There are no equipped bunkers in the Lvivi Museum and so there is a significant danger that strong airstrikes, building collapses and fire could threaten the entire heritage.

 Specifically, the Civic Museums Foundation of Venice plans to deliver materials such as special polyethylene fabrics that can be used to cover works of various materials for example paintings, graphics, furniture, costumes. Moreover, the MUVE foundation declared to send foam panels made of expanded polyethylene with high impact resistance and temperature and humidity meters of the Datalogger type, which are waterproof and dustproof.

 “Venice, a city open to the world and which has always defended the value of freedom to anyone who came to live there while respecting its rules and traditions, could not remain deaf to the request for help that is being raised by those in Ukraine who are fighting to save works of art,” said the mayor of Venice, Luigi Brugnaro, as a part of  the dialogue between two UNESCO World Heritage cities.

 Mayor Brugnaro continued that his city, which last year celebrated the 1600th anniversary of its foundation and whose museums “tell the world the story of a crossroads of cultures and peoples,” will demonstrate support in any way it can. The mayor said Venice “will be there and roll up our sleeves so that art and beauty return to being the best weapons to defeat the hatred that is sweeping Ukraine in this period.”

ak-ln