Illy Introduces 'BEAUTY HAS A TASTE' an Exhibition in the Heart of New York City

Illy Introduces 'BEAUTY HAS A TASTE' an Exhibition in the Heart of New York City

World Coffee Leader Invites New Yorkers to Experience Art, Culture and Style at New York City's Time Warner Center

NEW YORK, Sept. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- When visitors walk through the glass doors of Time Warner Center this fall, they will be taken on a journey through the senses, as seen through the eyes of one of the world's most iconic coffee companies -- illy. From art and literature to modern design and function, connoisseurs and coffee lovers will leave with so much more than just the taste and aroma of the perfect espresso. The BEAUTY HAS A TASTE exhibit is open from September 12th through October 9th and will take visitors on a journey celebrating illy's unfaltering passion and dedication to art, literature, film, design, cultural events and of course, the world's finest coffee.

Upon entering BEAUTY HAS A TASTE, visitors can savor the moment and awaken their senses to the pleasures of a unique blend of coffee at the illy Taste Bar with complementary illy beverages crafted by master illy baristas. Just steps away, guests can admire state-of-the-art FrancisFrancis! espresso machines and contribute their own personal take on beauty. During the exhibit's one-month run, passionate coffee-lovers can also attend one of illy's weekly CoffeeSense classes, hosted by leading food journalist, author and television contributor David Rosengarten. Home to CoffeeSense and a magical, interactive installation called "Text Rain", the illy Lounge on the second floor will be transformed into a visual lecture-style setting, designed to refine the senses and take visitors on an enriching journey of coffee history, taste and culture, from bean to cup.

"We are proud to share the illy experience with New York City and have always been dedicated to educating and enlightening the public about our brand's philosophies," said Andrea Illy, C.E.O. of illycaffe. "A visit to BEAUTY HAS A TASTE at Time Warner Center will bring visitors on an exciting journey through art, culture and sustainability in a stimulating experience that is complemented by the perfect espresso."

A Journey through Culture

Not only will visitors have the opportunity to browse through great literature at illy's free library and attend a scheduled class, the second floor illy Lounge will also be used as a stage for many other exciting events. On September 14th, Style Editor for the New York Times, Stefano Tonchi, will announce the U.S. introduction of his highly anticipated book "Human Game" with an interactive, multimedia presentation. James Rosenquist -- considered one of the founding fathers of pop art -- will host "Coffee, Flavours, Ideas" on September 28th, paying homage to the various colors and flavors from around the globe that have contributed to his innovative artwork for illy, ranging from the company's brilliant red logo to the illy collection series.

Some of the world's greatest artists from Francis Ford Coppola and Jeff Koons to Marina Abramovic have worked with illy to create unique artistic pieces in celebration of the iconic coffee producer. From delicately designed illy collections to larger than life photographic stills, dedicated art fans and those with a passion for coffee will have the opportunity to view some of these unique works of art. The journey of the senses begins on the first floor -- 18 beautiful prints by world-renowned photographer Sebastiao Salgado will be on display, depicting a dramatic photographic journey of coffee growers around the world, telling tales of mankind, daily rituals, stories, villages, landscapes, harmony and culture.

Illy's month long interactive installation will close with a private charity auction where one of the exhibit's main attractions -- a beautifully constructed, iron-framed, illy collection chandelier -- will be auctioned to raise money to build and sustain schools in coffee growing regions. Since 1992, illy has worked with distinguished artists including Robert Rauschenberg, David Byrne, Julian Schnabel and Atelier Van Lieshout, to design limited edition cup collections -- all of which will be housed on this exquisite chandelier

For more information and a detailed list of events at BEAUTY HAS A TASTE at Time Warner Center or to enter your take on beauty, please visit http://www.beautyhasataste.com/

About illycaffe

Based in Trieste, Italy, illycaffe produces and markets a unique blend of coffee as the single brand leader in quality coffee and gives coffee connoisseurs an overall authentic Italian coffee experience. It is available in more than 41,000 of the best restaurants and coffee bars and is sold in over 100 countries around the world, serving over 6 million cups of illy coffee a day. On a global level, it employs over 600 people.

Illy buys green coffee of the highest quality Arabica directly from the growers through partnerships based on the mutual creation of value. The Italian-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.

Source: illycaffe

CONTACT: Karen Kearns, kkearns@bratskeir.com, or Matthew Bautista,
mbautista@bratskeir.com, both of Bratskeir & Company at +1-212-679-2233

Web site: http://www.beautyhasataste.com/

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