illy Announces its Latest 'illy Art Collection' with Swiss Artist John Armleder
The heritage Italian coffee house continues its longstanding series, transforming cups into a reflective works of art.
As Frieze kicked off in London today, illy – the heritage Italian coffee house known for merging art and espresso culture – unveiled Swiss artist John Armleder as the latest collaborator its longstanding series: the illy Art Collection.
illy – with its iconic minimalist red sans-serif logo – isn’t just synonymous with premium Italian coffee, it’s also deeply tied to the art world. Since 1992, the brand has invited artists from around the world to reimagine the classic white espresso cup, collaborations that have transformed thousands of tiny porcelain canvases into a vibrant and evolving collection of art.
Titled Tastes, the brand’s latest collaboration saw it enlist the help of multidisciplinary Swiss artist John Armleder – whose work spans painting, sculpture, performance and more, and has been exhibited at institutions including the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) and the Musée Régional d’Art Contemporain (MRAC) – to put his personal touch on its porcelain. Carlo Bach, illy’s lead creative director, initially found inspiration for this year’s project when he learned about the effects titanium gas can have on the appearance of certain materials – including porcelain. This made Armleder, himself inspired by disco balls and the way they reflect light, the perfect partner, and together they turned to titanium dioxide to create a collection of iridescent cappuccino and espresso cups.
Armleder’s work frequently dissolves the line between art and everyday life. With Tastes he reimagines the espresso cup as both vessel and mirror – an object of vision and reflection. Each cup changes appearance with every interaction, revealing different colors depending on its contents and surroundings. And much like taste itself – personal, fluid, and ever-changing – illy’s collaboration with Armleder is a physical expression of shifting perception.
The illy Art Collection: Tastes by John Armleder is available now via the brand’s website. It comes in sets of two or four cups, for both espresso and cappuccino, and prices start at £65 GBP.
