Nykredit donates art to charity
In recent years, Nykredit has conducted several rounds of office space optimisation, leaving several works and objects of art to be stored away.
Increased focus on corporate social responsibility and an ambition of becoming a greener and more sustainable company have spurred Nykredit to support organisations and social projects in the context of its efforts of downscaling its art collection.
The downscaling of the art collection must match Nykredit's current decoration needs and produce a financial impact by way of reduced external warehouse rent and income from the sale of art no longer in use.
In the spring of 2017, Nykredit announced collaboration with Bruun Rasmussen Auctioneers of Fine Arts, which has been and still is appraising and dividing the works and objects of art into three categories, ie works and objects of art for either auction, donation or to be kept by Nykredit. Art for donation is objects that are deemed to be be unsuitable for auction. By scaling down the art collection, Nykredit has been able to achieve its target of storing no more than 300 works of art, allowing Nykredit to donate art to charity also in 2018.
"Making art live" where it is needed and, more importantly, to strengthen Nykredit's local presence in line with Nykredit's pledge to communities lie at the heart of the company. With that in mind, Dorte Gamst Boelskifte, Head of Customer Centre Aalborg, is very happy to talk about the coming donation of art in her local area: "I'm thrilled that when donating art we are looking in that direction."
Nykredit has already made its first donations. In July 2017, 159 works of art were donated to the new Hospital Lillebaelt, and in October 2017, 14 works of art were donated to the Christmas Seal Foundation. 2018 has already brought two successful donations. In February 2018, a donation was made for the new location in Copenhagen of the Crisis Centre for Danish Women's Society, which wanted to create a safe and homey feeling for the Centre residents and their children. The other donation was made to the private school Viborg Private Realskole, which is a local customer of Nykredit and which bought Nykredit's former office building in Viborg some time ago. The headmaster had a strong desire to be able to replace the empty walls of the school by an inspiring and creative environment for the children and young people attending the school.
Today, with the assistance of Realdania, Nykredit has established contact to several prospective project owners from all regions of Denmark, who have received support from Realdania. The project owners share one common goal: to be able to decorate empty walls to the benefit of their users, pupils, residents, etc.