Galleria illy New York

382 West Broadway, Soho, New York

September 15-December 15, 2005

Its sign was the red logo of illycaffè painted by James Rosenquist, but there was no ordinary coffee bar behind the glass entrance. It was, as the writing on the door said, the first Galleria illy, a space focused on the art, culture, coffee, experiences and friends of illy.
With the help of expert baristas, visitors to Galleria illy enjoyed espresso and cappuccino and relaxed in the contemporary lounge or library where they could leaf through one of the many art books and take in Coffee Flowers Ideas, a colorful original painting by Rosenquist. Rosenquist, Julian Schnabel and Marina Abramovic were showcased in events alongside Salgado’s black and white photographs, the colors of the Francis Francis! espresso machines and the illy collection chandelier, a suspended whirl of cups from all the past illy collections.

Events, meetings and coffee education animated Galleria illy with people and themes at the heart of illycaffè: artists Julian Schnabel and Marina Abramovich; the young students from the Parsons School of Design; musical performances and meetings with designers; short courses on how to prepare and taste a coffee, plus a 28-second theatrical show by food and wine writer David Rosengarten and meetings dedicated to sustainable development.