Ventaglio by Evermondo introduces an art and philanthropic initiative conceived by curator and philanthropist Marina Pecherskaya. The project channels contemporary art into direct support for UNICEF’s Women-Led Innovation Challenge in Kenya. Through a charity auction and a series of collectible editions, Ventaglio directs funds toward programs that strengthen women’s economic agency and expand opportunities for girls across the country.
ART
The project takes its name from the Italian word for fan. Ventaglio frames the object as a symbol of wind, unseen yet forceful. A hand-held fan produces movement through a simple gesture. Pecherskaya applies this metaphor to the project’s structure. She treats beauty as energy that can travel outward and generate measurable impact. The fan shifts from ornament to instrument, carrying artistic expression into social investment.
Ventaglio invites internationally recognized contemporary artists to design unique, hand-crafted fans. Each artist produces two versions of their work. One enters auction at a charity gala in Milan on 18 May. The second becomes part of a collectible edition released after the event. This structure allows the project to extend beyond a single evening and engage a broader audience through editioned works. Collectors and supporters can participate in the initiative through acquisition, sustaining its financial contribution to UNICEF’s program.
Proceeds from both the auction and the collectible editions will support UNICEF’s Women-Led Innovation Challenge in Kenya. The program equips women with skills, access to capital, and professional networks needed to build green enterprises. These enterprises strengthen household resilience and improve conditions for children through better access to health, education, and protection. The initiative advances gender equality by positioning women as leaders within their communities and as drivers of sustainable economic growth.
Ventaglio opens with the contribution of artist Zora Mann. Her work and personal background align with the project’s focus on identity and resilience. She establishes the tone for a collection shaped by distinct artistic voices. Benni Bosetto joins the initiative with a practice that moves between drawing, sculpture, and performance. Her work constructs intimate spaces that explore identity and transformation. Stephanie Comilang contributes her perspective as an artist and filmmaker. Her sci-fi documentary approach traces migration, labor, and belonging through layered narratives. Leda Catunda adds her tactile “soft paintings,” where textiles and color shift surface into emotional and material presence.
Ventaglio places women at the center of its structure. The project positions them as beneficiaries and as multipliers of impact within families and communities. Investment in women supports children and shapes long-term social development. The Women-Led Innovation Challenge recognizes that economic participation and leadership create durable effects across generations.
Marina Pecherskaya describes the project as an effort to convert beauty into energy. She views the fan as a modest object capable of carrying forward the aspirations of thousands of women and their children. Ventaglio proposes that meaningful change can begin with an object held in one’s hand. Through this initiative, art generates motion, and that motion directs resources toward women who build sustainable futures in Kenya.
Ventaglio stands as an art and philanthropic project founded by Marina Pecherskaya under Evermondo APS, a cultural organization established in Italy. Through artistic and educational initiatives, Evermondo supports charitable foundations and develops projects with long-term social impact.
