CONTEMPORARY ART

The philosophy that led the company to establish a special relationship with the world of contemporary art is summed up in the Greek concept of kalokagathìa: a word which brings together the terms 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 result is an ideal worthy of pursuit: the combination of the good and the beautiful, defining the parameters of human perfection, blending together its ethical and aesthetic dimensions.

This interest in beauty has motivated illycaffè’s contribution to promoting art and culture by supporting artists, institutions and international exhibits. Seeking out new beauty, finding it, sharing it and celebrating it: these are the goals that set our entrepreneurial culture apart. We have been partners of the Venice Biennale since 2003, one of the world’s most important and prestigious international exhibitions of contemporary art, organised every two years by the Biennale Foundation. We also support leading international contemporary art fairs, like Turin’s Artissima, ArcoMadrid, Asia Now, Paris International and Frieze, which has exhibited in London, New York, Los Angeles and Seoul.

We want to offer up-and-coming young artists a concrete opportunity to boost their visibility, experiment and grow through scholarships and exhibition projects. That’s why, since 2001, we’ve backed Present Future: the award presented by Artissima to the project deemed the most intriguing of all those displayed in the section of the art fair dedicated to emerging talents. What’s more, since 2007 we’ve presented the illy SustainArt prize at ARCOmadrid with the aim of boosting the careers of young creatives at an international level, offering them a concrete opportunity for visibility, experimentation and growth.