illycaffè - Global Partner of Frieze - To Have First-Ever Presence at Frieze Los Angeles Art Fair, Showcasing Mona Hatoum illy Art Collection

A sensorial illy coffee experience set to inspire visitors, artists and exhibitors during four-day event

News provided by

Feb 09, 2022, 09:00 ET

TRIESTE, Italy and LOS ANGELES, Feb. 9, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- illycaffè, a global partner of Frieze, will touch down in Los Angeles at the international art fair's new venue in Beverly Hills, from February 17-20, where illycaffè's newest illy Art Collection, designed by world renowned artist Mona Hatoum, will make its official U.S. debut.

illy, the global coffee brand founded in Trieste, Italy in 1933, is widely recognized for its sustainable quality and commitment to contemporary art over the past 30 years – a fact influenced by its artist partners, who have transformed an everyday illy espresso cup into one of the most diverse and accessible collections of art objects in the world for people to enjoy.

Frieze Los Angeles is among the world's leading art fairs, where internationally renowned artists and galleries across all mediums come together and celebrate the creative spirit of this lively city, in a reflection of its position as a global arts capital. This year's themes center around identity and community in relation to the city's large and diverse population.

At Frieze Los Angeles, illycaffè will present its illy Art Collection designed 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 colors that adorn the cups recall the pattern of the keffyeh, a traditional Arab headdress. Hatoum narrates a profound history and association with work, sacrifice, and human interconnectedness through her geometric designs of fish net grids and olive leaf patterns.

The fair's attendees and its one hundred-plus exhibitors can enhance their Freize experience by visiting the illy Caffè coffee bar located between galleries D7 and D8, where the new illy Art Collection will be on view, along with a full menu of beautifully crafted coffees featuring the unique illy blend and its extraordinary aroma.

"Beauty and contemporary art are two elements that epitomize the illy brand, from the James Rosenquist designed illy logo and sophisticated style of our coffee machines, to the iconic illy Art Collection and flair of our single-brand cafés, all of it to heighten the pleasure of enjoying the unmatched flavor and quality of illy coffee," said Andrea Illy, Chairman 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

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 flavor of the illy blend with a complete aesthetic, visual, and tactile experience, entering into a relationship with contemporary art.

Editor's Note: The illy Art Collection designed by Mona Hatoum is now available to purchase on the illy website at illy.com/monahatoum, as limited editions in a choice of formats:

Set of 2 espresso cups (red and black decorations) priced at $90.00
Set of 2 cappuccino cups (red and black decorations) priced at $95.00

illycaffè is an Italian family business, founded in Trieste in 1933 and committed to offering the greatest coffee to the world. It produces the unique illy 100% Arabica blend made of 9 of the world 's best selections of Arabica; each day more than 8 million cups are consumed in over 140 countries in the finest cafés, restaurants, hotels and in offices and homes. Thanks to its innovations, it contributes to technological advancement in the coffee sector. With the bestowing of the first "Ernesto Illy Award for quality espresso coffee" in 1991 in Brazil, illy also pioneered sharing know-how and paying a premium price for the best quality. Since 2017, through its "Ernesto Illy International Coffee Award", the company celebrates the growers of the world's best batches of sustainable coffee. Since 2013 illycaffè has regularly featured on the list of the World's Most Ethical Companies. In 2019 illy renewed its commitment to pursuing a sustainable business model combining environmental and social issues by adopting Società Benefit [benefit corporation] status and including this commitment in its by-laws. In 2021 illy was the first Italian coffee company to obtain B Corp international certification thanks to its commitment to abiding by the highest environmental and social performance standards. The company also founded its University of Coffee with the aim of fostering and spreading its culture, providing comprehensive academic and hands-on training for coffee growers, baristas and coffee lovers in order to cover every aspect of the product. Everything 'made in illy' is enhanced by beauty & art, which represent founding values of the brand, starting from its logo – designed by an artist, James Rosenquist – and including the renowned illy Art Collection, decorated by over 100 international artists. In 2020 the company was employing 1291 people and posted consolidated revenues of €520.5 million. There are 269 stores and mono-brand illy shops in more than 40 countries. In 2021 Rhone Capital became a minority shareholder of illycaffè to assist the company with its international growth.

Frieze is the leading global platform for contemporary and modern art for artists, writers, curators, collectors, and the public at large. Frieze comprises three magazines – frieze, Frieze Masters Magazine and Frieze Week – and four international art fairs – Frieze London, Frieze Masters, Frieze New York and Frieze Los Angeles. In 2016, Frieze entered into a strategic partnership with Endeavor, a leading global company in sports, entertainment, and branded content.

SOURCE illycaffè