Interview to Alberto Magni: Head of Fine Art Specialty @ MAG JLT Spa

With this interview SpeakArt had the pleasure to spek with Alberto Magni, Head of Fine Art Specialty @ MAG JLT Spa, to better understand the world of fine art insurances. Thanks to his strong experience and his know-how, he let us understand better where are the difficulties and the points of improvement in this sector, also in the digital field.

SpeakART: Good morning Alberto, thank you for being here with us.

Alberto Magni: Thank you Angelica, my pleasure.

SpeakART: We know that you have been a rugby player and you have been dealing with the fine art insurance world for almost 13 years.

Alberto Magni: Actually I love sports. I have practiced many of them, but certainly rugby is the one I am sick of. In reality, I have been dealing with the fine art insurance world for over 25 years, for 13 exclusively with MAG JLT!

SpeakART: Could you briefly tell our readers something about MAG JLT and the path you have done with this company?

Alberto Magni: MAG JLT is a cutting-edge and technologically advanced firm, with an international spirit but solid roots in the Italian culture. I like the human relationship generated with colleagues and clients, even if we are one of the major Italian brokerage groups with an extended international network, specialists with deep knowledge and respect for the Italian territorial characteristics. In my opinion, the firm’s strength is that combines the energy of a big group with the tailoring used in the personal and human relationship with clients and insurers.
In line with our idea that world is increasingly aimed to specialization, that the time of all-round experts is over and that the important thing is to give customers the best in terms of service and professionalism, in 2007 Pierluca Impronta – reference shareholder and president of MAG JLT – and I decided to make a bet creating a Specialty dedicated to the fine art world from scratch. This Specialty was born in Rome but it serves the entire MAG JLT group operating throughout Italy and assisting its clients all over the world. The Specialty has grown progressively over the years, establishing itself among the major players in the Italian market. The entire Specialty tema comes from a specific formation in this sector and they are fully dedicated to these activities in order to offer a prompt, punctual and high quality service.
Nowadays the Specialty boasts among its clients some of the major Italian collectors as well as museums, municipalities and foundations, but also experts in this sector such as exhibition organizers, transporters, restorers, auction houses, etc…

SpeakART: The art sector is particular for the insurance aspect, could you tell us which are the most critical points and where are the major inefficiencies concentrated?

Alberto Magni: In the past, the fine art branch had the reputation of being a sector in which there were no accidents. For this reason some unprofessional companies appeared and they have debased the sector with a run-up to the price at the expense of the service quality.
As there is no precise nomenclature in the field of art transports, there are too many “improvised and generalist” operators who transport a little of everything without high quality standards such as the “before and after” transport documentation about the state of the work and without using appropriate packaging, means or employees. This generates many claims which result in a burdening of insurance contracts.

SpeakART: In your opinion, how important is the human contribution and relationship? How standardizable is the management of the procedures within the fine art insurance system?

Alberto Magni: Human contribution and relationship are certainly predominant as each contract is unique as well as the works are, so every time it requires an evaluation and a management ad hoc. However there is a repetitive and mechanical part, in particular in the creation of the documentation. Thanks to a good software support, it could be considerably facilitated with a saving of time to dedicate to activities which require human intervention.

SpeakART: SpeakART: Where technology could create value and contribute simplifying your work?

Alberto Magni: CAs I said before, a good software which could be shared with clients and which manages the issue of the various certifications underlying each contract. I believe it could reduce the possibility of errors and speed up the work I also believe that another useful technology could be the ease of sharing images safely, in particular in claims cases.

SpeakART: Which technologies that can bring added value to the art world do you know?

Alberto Magni:The high definition video and photographic reproduction of works and museums, the virtual reality which allows to live an immersive experience “visiting” a cultural site.
The blockchain technology which allows to connect an image to a specific moment in a certified way.

SpeakART: What do you think is interesting about the software proposed by SpeakART for the insurance world?

Alberto Magni: I think that the possibility to share high definition images and collection/single works cards with the certainty to known when they have actually been taken will help the insurance world, in particular in case of claims.
I think that the versatility of of the certificate issuing system will facilitate the work of those operators who manage many certificates daily.

SpeakART: Thank you Alberto, you have been really clear. We hope to ask you some others questions in a next future.

Thanks to Alberto Magni and MAG JLT for their availability to answer our curiosities.

 

Title Photo by John Schaidler