Charity ad show an outlet for work-starved artists

By Roberto Bonzio

MILAN (Reuters Life!) - As the current economic crisis hits advertising spending and reduces demand for artwork, one young Italian artist is pushing another outlet for the industry's best designers -- publicity for charities.

Although working voluntarily won't pay the bills, it can open a window onto another world for professionals focused on promoting consumer goods and fashion fads. And it can help young artists and students find international recognition.

"Our aims (are) providing charities with creativity for free and waking the creative community up to the power they have to be a force for good," 30-year old Pasquale Volpe says in a statement promoting his third exhibition of such work.

Volpe launched "Good 50x70" (good50x70.org/2009/), an exhibition on the internet and in galleries, in 2007 with Tommaso Minnetti.

"When we started ... we had no idea how it would be received by the design community, the public, or even the charities we were working for," Volpe said.

The exhibition opens this year on Friday at Milan's Triennale Design Museum. It features 210 shortlisted posters selected from 4,126 submitted from 67 countries.

Now, "Good 50x70," named after the size of posters, has the support of UNESCO and charities such as Amnesty International, Greenpeace and the WWF suggest themes or ideas for designers.

This year, themes include child labour, climate change, women's rights and HIV/Aids.