TRIESTE, Italy – illycaffè announces its new illy Art Collection created in collaboration with designer Ron Arad and presented on the occasion of the Salone del Mobile 2017 in Milan.
The series of decorated cups designed by Arad is yet another stage in the eventful and long-lasting journey of this brand in the world of contemporary art, confirming its vision of design seen as a “project” and not just as a mere object.
The Israeli artist, who loves reinterpreting the concepts of shapes and structures by playing with different materials and techniques, casually laid on the cups and small saucers an imaginary drape, leaving it to interact spontaneously with these objects.
The result is a design that, with the use of sinuous lines, combines the artist’s desire and everything that materials can offer.
In this new illy Art Collection, Arad’s inspiration was to turn the solidity of ceramics into an interplay of soft drapery, creating the impression of a cup made of fabric.
Since its debut in 1992, the illy Art Collection has involved the cooperation of hundreds of major contemporary artists, including icons such as Marina Abramović, Robert Rauschenberg, Jeff Koons, Julian Schnabel, Anish Kapoor and Daniel Buren, making it the largest collection of artistic objects for everyday use.
Each of these artists has left a creative mark in the illy Art Collection, thus contributing to making the original illy espresso cup, which was designed by Matteo Thun in 1991, an instantly recognisable symbol of high quality and of passion for art.
The illy Art Collection designed by Ron Arad is for sale in the flagship store in Via Monte Napoleone, 19 in Milan, in the illy Shops, Illy Caffè and online on shop.illy.com.
