NEW YORK CITY, U.S. / TURIN, Italy – Lavazza today took yet another important step in its global commitment to being a promoter of the arts and culture worldwide by supporting Giacometti at the Guggenheim Museum in New York.
The Giacometti exhibition provides visitors with a comprehensive look at the artistic legacy of Swiss-born Alberto Giacometti (1901-1966).
Marking the fifth year and exhibition supported by Lavazza at the iconic Guggenheim Museum in New York, the June 8th date of the public opening of Giacometti coincides with the much-anticipated opening of the Lavazza Museum at Nuvola Lavazza, the company’s new and innovative global headquarters in their hometown of Turin.
Lavazza began its partnership with the Guggenheim New York in 2014 with the support of the exhibition Italian Futurism, 1909–1944: Reconstructing the Universe.
The multi-year collaboration not only sees Lavazza as cultural patron, but also with a presence onsite with two Lavazza pop up cafés as well as authentic Italian coffee experiences in the Museum’s acclaimed restaurant, The Wright. As the “Global Partner” collaboration between the Guggenheim Foundation and Lavazza grew, Francesca Lavazza, a fourth-generation member of the family at the helm of the company, was invited to join the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation Board of Trustees in 2016. Furthermore, in 2017 Lavazza expanded its commitment to the Guggenheim Foundation by forging a strategic partnership with the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice.
The Giacometti exhibition provides Lavazza with yet another opportunity to continue to spearhead arts and culture projects worldwide, drawing from more than 25 years of tradition in this space.
Projects led by Lavazza range from working with some of the world’s greatest photographers for the annual Lavazza Calendar, to several photography initiatives and standalone exhibits tied to the ¡Tierra! sustainable coffee range, through to the patronage of important cultural institutions both in Italy and abroad that include the prestigious State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia. Currently on view at the Hermitage is a Lavazza-supported exhibition titled Arte Povera. A Creative Revolution.
Sponsor Statement:
“Lavazza is pleased to collaborate with the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum on this ambitious exhibition devoted to the work of Alberto Giacometti, one of the most influential and innovative artists of the twentieth century. Our support of this project reaffirms the vision we share with the Guggenheim: that art offers moments for reflection and exploration, helping to build sensory paths to a better future.
Transforming raw materials into something entirely new, Giacometti’s work perfectly captures the tensions of the period in which it was conceived—the long wave that followed World War II—yet succeeds in anticipating many prominent themes in contemporary society: the transition from the corporeal to the incorporeal, the interaction of the human and the post-human, the opalescence of truth and realism. Indeed, this exhibition demonstrates the desire to be unafraid in times of adversity, recognizing that the best things are sometimes born of crisis.
Support of the Giacometti exhibition represents the Lavazza family’s sensibility towards a lateral and innovative form of art. Indeed, the focus of the Lavazza company’s mission has always been creativity, with the aim of making Lavazza a company that generates culture and innovation, especially around the authentic Italian coffee experiences it has been providing for more than 120 years.
It is for this very reason that, throughout its history, Lavazza has maintained strong ties with the most imaginative art, made by those farthest ahead of the curve. Our work with the Guggenheim Foundation demonstrates our dedication and commitment to an idea—to pushing ourselves always to do better, with courage and humility, while respecting the traditions to which we belong. Accordingly, our choice to support this project on Giacometti is no coincidence. Just as the sculptor was obsessed throughout his life with the idea of going beyond the objective limits imposed by the senses, the Lavazza family has always tried to go beyond the concept of enterprise and innovation, building up production communities around individuals.
From Turin to New York, we are honored to be part of this story and to contribute to the creation of experiences designed to leave an indelible mark on the memory of those who take part in them.
Giacometti, as well as paying tribute to the work of a great artist, strives to present an open and brave vision of our future, imagining a world that does not yet exist.”
Francesca Lavazza
Member, Lavazza Board
Member, Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation Board of Trustees
About Lavazza and its commitment to promoting the arts and culture
Lavazza has a long history of promoting the arts and culture. From its first steps taken with revolutionary campaigns created by the undisputed Italian advertising genius Armando Testa, through to the celebration of artistic creativity represented by the Lavazza Calendar, the company has always been a pioneer in the visual arts. From photography and design to fine advertising graphics, today Lavazza is a partner of leading international art museums.
These include: the Guggenheim Museum in New York (USA), the Peggy Guggenheim Collection (Venice), the Musei Civici Veneziani in Venice (Italy), and the State Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg (Russia). Lavazza also offers its support to the MUDEC (Museum of Cultures) in Milan, the Merz Foundation, Camera (the Italian Center for Photography) and Circolo dei Lettori in Turin and to top international art and photography events worldwide, including the Mia Photo Fair in Milan and exhibitions by Steve McCurry, the author of the ¡Tierra! series of photographs shot in Honduras, Peru, Colombia, India, Brazil, Tanzania, Ethiopia and Vietnam, taking viewers on a journey to discover coffee trading routes and communicating all the passion and commitment that the Lavazza Foundation invests in coffee-producing communities.
Lavazza has furthermore worked for over 25 years with some of the most illustrious photographers in the world to create the Lavazza Calendars shot by the likes of Platon, Helmut Newton, Annie Leibovitz, David LaChapelle and Thierry Le Gouès among others.
