ILLYCAFFÈ CONTINUES TO CELEBRATE THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ILLY ART COLLECTION WITH AN EXHIBITION AT THE HAKONE OPEN-AIR MUSEUM

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Oct 24, 2022, 08:00 ET

TRIESTE, Italy, Oct. 24, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- illycaffè, the global coffee brand renowned for its sustainable quality and for the close relationship it has forged with the world of contemporary art, continues to celebrate the 30 years of the illy Art Collection with an installation at the Hakone Open-Air Museum in the Ashigarashimo district in Japan.

From October 22^nd, 2022 to January 15^th, 2023, visitors to this open-air exhibition will be able to discover how the most famous contemporary artists have interpreted the historic white espresso cup designed in 1991 by Matteo Thun for illy. A chandelier much like those found in illy cafés worldwide will reveal the most emblematic of the 459 espresso cups designed by 125 leading artists since 1992, and which now comprise one of the largest contemporary art collections in the world.

A cup of illy coffee symbolizes the combination of good taste, beauty and sustainability. This union takes form in the illy Art Collection, the iconic cup that transformed an everyday object into a blank canvas on which the various languages of the illy universe have blended over the last 30 tears. Anyone savoring an illy espresso can enjoy, in a single gesture, the aroma and flavor of the sustainable, high-quality Arabica blend together with a complete aesthetic, visual and tactile experience in close contact with contemporary art.

illycaffè is an Italian family-owned company, founded in Trieste in 1933. Its mission has always been to offer the best coffee to the world. Illycaffè produces a unique 100% Arabica blend, combining 9 of the best varieties in the world, selected by illycaffè: every day 8 million cups of illy coffee are served in over 140 countries around the globe, in the cafés, restaurants and hotels, in single-brand cafés and shops, at home and in the office. As a result of its innovations, illycaffè contributes to the coffee technology progress at global level. In 1991, the "Premio Ernesto Illy de qualidade sustentavel do cafè para espresso" was launched in Brazil for quality espresso coffee. Illycaffè has contributed to the sharing of the know-how, paying growers a premium price for the best quality selected by illycaffè. Since 2016, with the "Ernesto Illy International Coffee Award", the company has celebrated coffee growers all over the world that, according to illy, have produced the best sustainable coffee. Since 2013, the company has been in the list of the World Most Ethical Companies. In 2019, it enhanced its commitment to pursue a sustainable business model integrating the interest of people with the environment, adopting the status of Società Benefit (Benefit Company) and adding this commitment into its own bylaws. In 2021, illycaffè was the first Italian company in the coffee sector to obtain the international certification as B Corp as a result of its commitment to comply with the highest standards of social and environmental performance. The company also founded the University of Coffee, which has the objective of sharing culture at all levels, offering a comprehensive and practical training to growers, baristas and coffee lovers. Everything that is "made in illy" is about beauty and art, the founding principles of the brand, starting from its logo, designed by artist James Rosenquist, up to illy Art Collection cups, decorated by over 120 international artists. In 2021, the company had 1305 employees and a turnover of about €500 million. There are 205 illy single-brand shops in over 40 countries all over the world. In 2021, Rhone Capital became a minority shareholder of illycaffè with the aim of contributing to the company's international growth plans.

SOURCE illycaffè