illycaffè partners with ARCOmadrid to showcase the illy Art Collection signed by Lee Ufan, marking the celebration of the 17th edition of the illy SustainArt award

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Mar 06, 2024, 09:30 ET

Lee Ufan's specially designed cups will grace the illy lounge, alongside an artwork crafted for this event by Cristina Mejías, the Spanish artist winner of the illy SustainArt award at Arco 2023
On March 7^th, the winner of the 2024 edition of the award, aimed at fostering the careers of young emerging artists on a global scale, will be unveiled by illy

MADRID, March 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- For 19 years, illycaffè has proudly served as the official partner of ARCOmadrid, the contemporary art exhibition held in the Spanish capital from March 6^th to 10^th, 2024. This year, the company will expose the latest illy Art Collection, signed by the Korean-born artist Lee Ufan, alongside presenting the prestigious illy SustainArt award. Established 17 years ago, this award reflects illycaffè's commitment to promoting art and culture by supporting both artists and institutions.

"We take great pride in our ongoing support of ARCOmadrid, one of Europe's most significant art fairs, where we've been conveying the values of the illy brand through the language of art for nearly two decades. Simultaneously, we're dedicated to spotlighting emerging artists and established masters," said Cristina Scocchia, CEO of illycaffè.

Visitors to the illy lounge at stand B26 in Pavilion 7 of IFEMA MADRID can indulge in the exclusive illy blend while exploring the latest illy Art Collection by Lee Ufan. Renowned for his pursuit of simplicity, Ufan infuses his philosophy into the designs of the illy Art Collection, characterized by fluid lines and brushstrokes reminiscent of reductionist painting. Each stroke embodies Ufan's concept of encounter, capturing the moment when brush meets canvas. Notably, the cups feature unpainted areas, allowing for a connection between the white porcelain and the artist's creation.

At 4:30 PM on Thursday, March 7^th, in the illy lounge, the winner of the 2024 illy SustainArt award, established by illycaffè in collaboration with ARCOmadrid to support emerging artists, will be announced. Past recipients include Ana Navas, Felipe Cohen, Hellen Ascoli, and Marcelo Cidade, reflecting the award's goal of advancing the careers of young creatives internationally. This year, the award will recognize one of the exhibiting artists under 40. The 2024 jury includes Patrizia Sandretto (curator and founder of the Sandretto Re Rebaudengo Foundation), Tania Pardo (deputy director of the CA2M Museum, Centro de Arte Dos de Mayo), Ianko López (journalist for Vanity Fair), and Carlo Bach (creative director of illycaffè). The prize, totaling €15,000, will fund the creation of a work unveiled at the illy lounge during ARCOmadrid 2025.

Additionally, the illy lounge will showcase "Costas Quentes", an artwork by Cristina Mejías, the Spanish artist who won the 2023 illy SustainArt award.

Costas Quentes
It belongs to a series "Aprendices Errantes" exhibited by Cristina Mejías (Jerez de la Frontera, 1986) at the Patio Herreriano Museum in Valladolid. With a keen focus on the materiality of sound and the expressive potential of forms, Mejías employs a bold approach to woodwork, influenced by her familial roots and extensive analysis of various wood types. Her work seeks to transcend normative models, exploring diverse subjectivities and voices embedded in different traditions, made fragile by the passage of time. Recognizing the historical dominance of writing in expression, Mejías highlights orality's visibility, acknowledging that communication's affective essence often surpasses language, finding eloquence in bodily movement. In front of Mejías's works, one can perceive the interconnectedness of ideas, desires, and fears, each element flowing from its predecessor in a continuous narrative.

illycaffè is an Italian family-owned company, founded in Trieste in 1933 which has always set itself the mission of offering the best coffee to the world. It produces a unique 100% Arabica blend composed of 9 different ingredients. The company selects only 1% of the best Arabica beans in the world. 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, in which the company is present through subsidiaries and distributors.

Since its foundation, illycaffè has oriented its strategies towards a sustainable business model, commitment that it strengthened in 2019 by adopting the status of Benefit Company and in 2021 becoming the first Italian coffee company to obtain the international B Corp certification. Since 2013 the company is also one of the World Most Ethical Companies. 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 125 international artists, or coffee machines designed by internationally renowned designers. With the aim of spreading the culture of quality to growers, baristas and coffee lovers, the company has developed its Università del Caffè which today holds courses in 25 countries around the world. In 2021, Rhône Capital became a minority shareholder of illycaffè with the aim of contributing to the company's international growth plans.

In 2022, the company had 1230 employees and a turnover of €567,7 million. The illy single-brand network has 190 points of sale in 34 countries.

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