Galleria illy - Beijing 3rd

From tomorrow to December 2 Galleria illy will host major personalities of art, design and enogastronomy: from Sebastião Salgado to Ron Arad, from Liu Wei to Lin Tianmiao and Fang Lijun, from Pino Cuttaia to Josean Alija.

Trieste, October 26, 2012 – After New York, Milan, Trieste, Istanbul, Berlin and London, tomorrow Galleria illy is to open in Beijing, at the Parkview Green FangCaoDi.

“Galleria illy is expression of illy character and philosophy. It gives the public a chance to taste illy coffee, the opportunity  to plunge into the stimuli and worlds closely associated with it, such as art, culture, design and enogastronomy. To open Galleria illy in Beijing means to enlarge and to spread the culture of coffee in a country where it doesn’t belong to tradition yet. But in China we are noticing growing interest and appreciation for coffee, especially among the young people: in one generation time, China can become one of the five most important coffee consumers of the world” says Andrea Illy, President and CEO of illycaffè S.p.A.

Sebastião Salgado will be the first guest met by the public at Galleria illy: on Saturday October 27 he will present his photographic reportage in Chinese coffee plantations made with illycaffè. His photographs will be on display at Galleria illy in a world preview. Ron Arad – one of the key international representatives of contemporary design - will close the Gallery program on December 2.

The world of art will be represented by the Chinese artists Liu Wei, Lin Tianmiao and Fang Lijun, Lü Peng – curator ad scholar of Chinese contemporary art – and by a group of CAFA (China Central Academy of Fine Arts of Beijing) artists: they will perform around huge illy coffee cups on the occasion of the new issue of illywords magazine, titled “Go East!”, containing the CAFA students’ works awarded on the occasion of the Graduate Show of this year.

A great attention will be given by the program to enogastronomy as well, thanks to two famous “starred” chefs  - the Spanish Josean Alija and the Italian Pino Cuttaia - and to tasting sessions of food and wines, representative of the Italian production excellence. This is the case, for instance, of Mastrojanni wineries that joined Gruppo illy in 2008, and whose wines will be presented in a tasting session led by Riccardo illy, President of the Holding.

What's more, Università del caffè di Trieste will offer every day at Galleria illy free courses to learn how to taste and prepare coffee.

The Chandelier

The symbol of Galleria illy will be the Chandelier: it will display in a suspended helix the history of the illy Art Collection cups, the well known and clearest expression of the close link existing between illy and art. Taking into account the place where it is to be set, the Chandelier of Galleria illy Beijing will be manufactured in giant sizes. It will weigh 2 tons, it will have a diameter of 8 meters, it will be  5,2 meter tall and it will be shaped  as a helix of 5 rims. It will be made of  66 coffee cups chosen among over 300 designed so far in twenty years  by the most outstanding representatives of contemporary art. Each cup will weigh 6 kilograms, will be 62 cm wide, will have a base of 32 cm of diameter and will be 50,5 cm tall. Forty five days will be required to manufacture it, so to be suspended at the center of the Parkview Green grand hall.

Galleria illy Beijing

Opening hours:

October 27th - December 2nd, 2012 - from 10 a.m to 10 p.m.

Address: Parkview Green FangCaoDi, No.9, DongDaQiao Rd., Chaoyang Dist., Beijing, China

The program

Sebastião Salgado - 27 October 2012, 3pm

The great photographer Sebastião Salgado and illycaffè present a photographic journey in Chinese coffee plantations, which shows their beauty and tells the coffee growers’ world.

CAFA - Central Academy of Fine Arts, Beijing - 1 November 2012, 4-8pm

Artists from CAFA will show their creativity on the surface of illy giant cups, on the occasion of the new issue of illywords magazine, titled “Go East!”, which presents images of works realized by CAFA students.

Pino Cuttaia -  7 November 2012, 7pm

The Italian chef tells how, in his restaurant in the heart of Sicily, he reinterprets and gives new life to the traditional recipes that belong to the precious Sicilian heritage.

Josean Alija - 10 November 2012, 3pm

The Spanish chef talks about coffee, its various applications in food, and describes the studies and the recipes that came from the collaboration with illycaffè aimed to introduce and spread the culture of coffee.

Lü Peng and Fang Lijun- 17 November 2012, 3pm

Conversation between Giuseppe Liverani, Charta’s editor and founder, Chinese artist Fang Lijun and Lü Peng, one of the most important contemporary art Chinese critics and author of the publishing house, on the occasion of Charta’s 20 years anniversary.

Lin Tianmiao - 18 November 2012, 3pm

Conversation between artist Lin Tianmiao and curator Melissa Chiu on the occasion of the launch of the book “Bound Unbound”, published by Charta in collaboration with Asia Society New York.

Mastrojanni - 29 November 2012, 7pm

A tasting session of Mastrojanni wines, among which the famous Brunello di Montalcino, that represent at their best the excellence of the Italian wine production.

Liu Wei - 1 December 2012, 3pm

Conversation on Chinese contemporary art with Liu Wei, one of the most intriguing and active young generation artists working in China today.

Ron Arad - 2 December 2012, 3pm

Curious about China. A conversation with one of the main performer of contemporary design.

The partners

Galleria illy will take place inside Parkview Green FangCaoDi, a compound recently built in the Central Business District of the city.

As usual, it will be will be an important event to meet all those people and partners with whom illycaffè has been working: Charta, publisher of many artists linked to the company of Trieste; Moroso, that has worked in order to have Ron Arad attend, one of the main designers of the Italian company and member of the “Moroso Award for Contemporary Art” 2012 jury; the wine estate Villa Russiz; the wine farm Mastrojanni; Domori, gourmet chocolates, part of Gruppo illy SpA.

Galleria illy

Galleria illy is a temporary space, the expression of philosophy and values of illy, the Italian brand of high quality coffee. It is a culture salon where some of the leading protagonists at international level in the world of arts, literature, science, design, wine and food get together. Every day, with Università del caffè, the culture of coffee has the role of main actor, with classes and tastings.

Galleria illy is hosted every time by a different city, at the forefront of creativity. In Beijing, hearth of the millenary Chinese culture and now a global and cosmopolitan metropolis, illy found the same cultural crossover and artistic contaminations which are part of its DNA.  

Based in Trieste, Italy, illycaffé produces and markets a unique blend of espresso coffee under a single brand leader in quality. Over 6 million cups of illy espresso coffee are enjoyed every day. illy is sold in over 140 countries around the world and is available in more than 100,000 of the best restaurants and coffee bars. espressamente illy, the chain of franchised Italian-style coffee bars is now present in 30 countries and comprises 230 outlets. With the aim of spreading the coffee culture, illy has founded the Università del caffè, the centre of excellence offering theoretical and practical training on every aspect of coffee for coffee growers, coffee shops staff and enthusiasts. On a global level illycaffè employs about 800 people and has a consolidated turnover of €342 million. (2011 results)

About Parkview Green FangCaoDi. Parkview Green FangCaoDi is one of China's greenest buildings and the first in China to be pre-certified LEED® Platinum as an urban mixed-use development.

Everything at Parkview Green FangCaoDi encompasses this fresh approach - from the building's own micro-climate designed to give visitors a breath of fresh air, to unique and original retail concepts that showcase brands in an exciting way, as well as featuring a collection of sculptural masterpieces by Salvador Dali in addition to rotating events and exhibits.

Parkview Green FangCaoDi not only captures the imagination with its sustainable design, but remains always fresh through its constantly evolving collection of experiences for those who live, work or visit this iconic Beijing landmark.

For more information:

Anna Adriani/Christine Pascolo, illycaffè, Ph. +39 040/3890111