March
12, 2005
Illy
presents new collection by Joep van Lieshout at the 2005 Armory
Show
On
the occasion of the Armory Show International Fair of New Art,
illycaffè presents the new illy collection designed by
Joep van Lieshout, the founder of Atelier Van Lieshout.
Atelier
Van Lieshout, founded in 1995, is an artistic group in Rotterdam
that creates interactive artworks, both massive installations
and modest sculptures that play with the concept of absence/presence
of people. Atelier’s designs demonstrate that the human
body has been mainly regarded in terms of a function it performs.
Far from an isolated unit, the body exists as a set of exchanges,
where the biological meets the mechanical, where the organic
fuses with the architectural.
Given
Atelier’s approach, it should come as no surprise that
Joep van Lieshout has decided to create an illy collection with
elements that bring to mind the vital elements.
Atelier’s
drawings present the cup as an extension of the body, as an
appendage for the organs activated by the drinking action. His
elaborate drawings show the physical components that give birth
to four vital processes: the digestive, reproductive, blood
and nervous system.
Inspired
by anatomy, Atelier’s drawings hold up a mirror to the
spectator and offer an intimate portrait of the metamorphosis
that is set off by the process of drinking: when the mouth meets
the hot cup, it tests the temperature with an inquisitive sip,
drinks the coffee and then swallows it, while the brain and
the blood system feel the positive effects of such an experience.
There
will be two gift sets to choose from. The first set, priced
at $150.00, comes beautifully gift boxed containing four signed
and numbered espresso cups, a limited edition decorated tray
and one 8.8 oz. can of fine grind, medium roast illy espresso
coffee. The second gift set includes four signed and numbered
espresso cups and a 250g pack of coffee and is priced at $100.00.
The AVL illy collection will be available for sale exclusively
through the illy website, www.illyusa.com on March 10, 2005
or by calling 1-877.455.9345.
Illy
Collection is the name given to sets of truly special cups designed
to elevate and enhance the illy coffee experience. Since the
concept was first introduced in 1992, an international who’s
who of artists have graced illy cups with their original designs.
Americans Jeff Koons, James Rosenquist, Robert Rauschenberg,
David Byrne, Louise Bourgeois; Italians Marco Lodola, Sandro
Chia, Michelangelo Pistoletto and the legendary filmmakers,
Federico Fellini and Francis Ford Coppola are among those who
have been inspired by illy. Prized by collectors all over the
world, the illy collections are signed, numbered and produced
in limited editions.
Based
in Trieste, Italy, illy produces and markets a unique blend
of espresso coffee, under a single brand leader in quality.
Illy espresso is served in more than 40,000 hotels, restaurants
and coffee bars and is sold in over 100 countries around the
world, serving over 5 million cups of illy espresso coffee a
day. On a global level it employs around 500 people. Illy buys
green coffee directly from the growers of the highest quality
Arabica, through partnerships based on the mutual creation of
value. The Trieste-based company fosters long-term collaborations
with the world's best coffee growers - in Brazil, Central America,
India and Africa - providing know-how and technology and offering
above-market prices.
Contact:
Kathleen Talbert
Tel.: 212-675-5525
E-mail: ktalbert@talbertcom.com
