PARIS, France – illycaffè, a global coffee brand renowned for its sustainable quality and its unique communication with the world of contemporary art, is proud to announce its first-time official partnership with Art Basel Paris. The event will take place from October 18 to 20 at the Grand Palais, in the heart of the French capital.
Visitors and exhibitors at the international fair can enjoy the unique illy blend at all refreshment points throughout the event. Additionally, they can immerse themselves in the exclusive illy lounge, located on the ground floor.
This space showcases the beauty of the iconic illy collectible cups, which have transformed an everyday object into a canvas for internationally renowned artists. The lounge provides a unique visual and tactile experience, celebrating both the aroma of illy coffee and the artistic designs on the cups.
For the first time in France, the illy lounge will feature the illy Art Collection by artists Simone Fattal (Syrian), Shirin Neshat (Iranian), Monica Bonvicini (Italian), and Binta Diaw (Milanese artist of Senegalese origin).
These four artists have used the illy cup to highlight urgent cultural, environmental, and social issues, sharing their experiences as women from diverse geographical and social backgrounds.
Their works speak to the condition of women worldwide through the language of contemporary art.
The lounge will also display the history of the illy Art Collection, a series of cups that, since 1992, has become one of the largest contemporary art collections globally. An exhibit of selected decorations from the 130 great masters of contemporary art who have contributed to the illy Art Collection over the past thirty years will be featured in one area of the stand.
Cristina Scocchia, CEO of illycaffè, comments on this collaboration: “We are proud to be a first-time partner of Art Basel Paris, one of the most prestigious contemporary art fairs in the world
For us, art represents a privileged language useful for combining the culture of coffee with aesthetic and social value, a powerful tool to raise awareness and inspire change. Our new collection of cups, created by four talented female artists, reflects the diversity and richness of contemporary artistic perspectives, inviting the public to an open and stimulating dialogue on current and increasingly relevant issues, capable of enriching those who observe and use them”.
