Galleria illy hosted by FLOS Moroso: 9/12 - 10/16 2011

Coffee and culture have shared an inseparable bond that has lasted for centuries.  Now, following runs in New York, Milan, Trieste, Istanbul and Berlin, Galleria illy – hosted by lighting and furnishings designers FLOS and Moroso – will open in London on 12 September 2011.

The Galleria represents the efforts of illy – the high quality Italian coffee company – to express physically its love of art, culture and science with its passion for the finest coffee.  It is a gallery in every sense, stimulating every sense.

Last year, the Istanbul and Berlin Gallerias featured a unique installation created by the German artist Tobias Rehberger in his trademark optical-pop style.  Details of London’s month-long (and free) exhibition will be revealed later in the summer.

The temporary exhibition space will play host to a programme of art, literature, science, design and food & wine events presented by internationally renowned personalities.

In Galleria’s past, arts events have been created by contributors such as Marina Abramovic, James Rosenquist, Julian Schnabel, Sebastião Salgado and Michael Lin.
The names of the artists, designers and chefs contributing to the London Galleria will be announced in late July.

One certainty is that the artist Francesco Clemente will be revealing his take on the espresso cup as part of the illy Art Collection.  Also, the London Galleria will not display illy’s traditional 286 espresso cup chandelier.  Instead a new installation to showcase the coffee cups interpreted by some of the greatest artists and most influential contributors to film and music of our generation, including Anish Kapoor, Jeff Koons, Robert Rauschenberg, David Byrne and Pedro Almodóvar, will be unveiled.

Additionally, illy baristas from the Università del Caffè will provide free courses to help people master the art of coffee preparation and serve world class drinks.  And the premium Italian coffee maker will be giving all visitors the opportunity to enjoy a delicious coffee from a purpose-built London Galleria bar, to ensure the coffee-themed aesthetic prevails throughout.

The complete, regularly updated schedule of events will be posted at www.facebook.com/illy

GALLERIA ILLY – HOSTED BY FLOS AND MOROSO
12 SEPTEMBER – 16 OCTOBER 2011
15 Rosebery Avenue, London, EC1R 4SP
Open:  Monday – Friday 10:00 -17:00
Price: Free of charge

For more information

illy
Mark Cooper, Fran Langdon, Nicola Grossfield @ Van Communications
+44 (0)20 7079 9222, firstname.lastname@vancomms.com

FLOS
Donatella Matteoni, PR & Communications Manager FLOS SPA,
+39 030 2438.526 donatella.matteoni@flos.com
Judith Fereday, Camron PR, Judith.Fereday@camronpr.com,  +44 (0)2074201717

Moroso
Daria Triolo,  Communication & Press Director 39.0432.577111/ +39.02.878990 daria.triolo@moroso.com

About illy
Based in Trieste, Italy, illycaffé produces and markets a unique blend of espresso coffee under a single brand. 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 50,000 of the best restaurants and coffee bars. 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.
www.illy.com 

About FLOS
Established in 1962 in Merano, FLOS is an international company offering a range of products and systems in the residential and architectural lighting sector. Famous for solutions that are both creative and innovative, the company has a broad catalogue of iconic lighting products by celebrated designers including Achille Castiglioni, Philippe Starck, Antonio Citterio, Marcel Wanders, Konstantin Grcic, Jasper Morrison, Patricia Urquiola, Ron Gilad and many more.
FLOS has an ongoing commitment to research and innovation in lighting technology, combined with an extraordinary ability to identify new creative talents. With the recent launch of the Soft Architecture collection, a ground-breaking project recognised by leading international awards, the company has further demonstrated how a historic brand can look to the future without losing sight of its tradition.
FLOS has single-brand stores in Rome, Milan, Paris, Hong Kong, Stockholm, London and New York.
www.flos.com 

About Moroso
Moroso was established in 1952. It was the brainchild of Agostino Moroso who founded the company, with his wife, to design and make sofas, armchairs and furnishing accessories. The firm’s craft-manufacturing approach to its production of upholstered furniture and a strong creative vein in designing planted the roots of a vision that has fostered Moroso’s market growth while distinguishing it for the quality, innovation and creativity of its products. From the ‘80s onwards, the second generation initiated in-depth studies in auteur design. Almost sixty years after its founding, Moroso is positioned in the haute couture of international design and is a leading upholstered-furniture manufacturer.
Moroso has over the years formed a collection of iconic products which bear a common touch while embodying diverse latitudes and local cultures. This international horizon has ushered the firm into some of the most beautiful venues in the world, including New York’s MoMA, the Palais de Tokyo and Grand Palais in Paris, la Biennale di Venezia.
Today, Moroso has  branches in the United States, the United Kingdom and Singapore. It exports its products to 70 world countries.
www.moroso.it