TRIESTE, Italy, LOS ANGELES, USA – illycaffè, one of Frieze’s global partners, arrived in Los Angeles, at a new venue on Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills, from February 17th to 20th, 2022. illy is a global coffee brand founded in Trieste in 1933 and recognised for its sustainable quality and for its commitment to contemporary art over the last 30 years, which has influenced illy to transform an everyday object, such as the white espresso cup, into one of the most diverse – and accessible – collections of art objects in the world.
At Frieze Los Angeles, illycaffè presented for the first time in the United States the new illy Art Collection and the matching cans signed by Mona Hatoum, the internationally renowned artist whose poetry and politics play out in installations, sculptures, videos, photos, and works on paper.
In this particular illy Art Collection, the patterns and colours decorated onto the cups and cans recall the typical pattern of the keffyeh, a traditional Arab headdress. Decorated with fishing nets and olive leaves, the artist narrates a profound history of work, sacrifice, and relationships onto the cups and cans.
The fair’s visitors and its one hundred plus exhibitors were able to visit the illy Caffè located between stands D7 and D8 to discover the new illy Art Collection and immerse themselves in an environment in which beauty and goodness are blended together, ensconced in the sophisticated design that signifies Mona Hatoum’s signature style and the aroma of illy’s unique blend.
“Beauty and contemporary art are two elements that epitomise that which is ‘made in Italy’, from the logo designed by James Rosenquist to the sophisticated look of our coffee machines, as well as from the iconic illy Art Collection to the flair of our single-brand cafés, blended together with the unmatched flavour of illy’s quality coffee– said Andrea Illy, President of illycaffè – We are proud to be the global coffee partner of Frieze Los Angeles, one of the leading international art fairs, with whom we share a passion for inclusiveness and sharing, two core values of contemporary art”.
illy and contemporary art – illy art collection
The search for, discovery, and enhancement of beauty and that which is new are distinctive characteristics of illy’s corporate culture. In order to make the most of them, the Trieste-based company is collaborating with the main global contemporary art fairs and with leading Spanish art institutions, such as ARCOmadrid, Museo Reina Sofía, the Thyssen-Bornemizsa Foundation, Círculo de Bellas Artes, Guggenheim Bilbao, MACBA and the Barcelona Museum of Design.
For illycaffè, whose distinctive values are Good, Goodness and Beauty, contemporary art adds beauty to taste
The beauty illycaffè strives to achieve is inspired by the ancient Greek concept of kalokagathìa, which combines kalòs (that which is beautiful) and agathòs (that which is good) to create a new meaning in which beauty and goodness become one, each depending on the other.
The illy Art Collection cups are a tangible expression of this concept. This project was launched in 1991, and through it the company transformed an everyday object into a blank canvas by inviting contemporary artists to express their creativity onto the espresso cup that Matteo Thun designed for illy. Over the years, this canvas has featured the work of over 100 internationally renowned artists, including Michelangelo Pistoletto, Marina Abramović, Anish Kapoor, James Rosenquist, William Kentridge, Yoko Ono, Gillo Dorfles, Robert Wilson, Ai Weiwei and others…
Coffee lovers sipping an illy espresso from a cup designed by an artist combine the aroma and flavour of the illy blend with a complete aesthetic, visual, and tactile experience, entering into a relationship with contemporary art.
