November 15, 2011
illy supports lettera27
After the experience of SUD - Salon Urbain de Douala 2010, illy continues to support lettera27, within the Mobile A2K project. At the Artissima 18 Art Fair in Turin, illy presents a collection of 64 moka pots illy sustainArt, hand-crafted and numbered individually by the designer Moreno Balzani, owner of Thinkit!, and coordinated by Luca Antonini, marketing manager and owner of MAG. The proceeds will be donated to lettera27, specifically to the cultural, artistic and educational activities run by doual'art, an art centre in Douala, Cameroon, partner of the foundation in the Mobile A2K project.

The moka pots collection is presented at the event in Turin in the illycaffé area and is on sale from 15th November on illy’s e-shop at the symbolic price of 64 euros. This number refers to the 64 different editions of the moka pots as well as the 6,400 cans of illy issimo collected during the last Art Biennale in Venice and used to create the moka pots. Each of them has been produced by recycling the aluminium cans and activating a virtuous circle, where coffee becomes artwork which in turn supports art projects in Africa through lettera27. The outcome of this process is aimed at supporting activities at doual’art, the art centre in Douala, Cameroon, with which the foundation has been collaborating for four years. doual’art is an experimental laboratory for urban practices which brings art and creativity to  the public spaces of African cities; it also supports research activities and projects by artists working in the realm of public art and urban issues. Among doual’art activities, is SUD - Salon Urbain de Douala, a triennial festival which, through art, creates opportunities for reflection on the city of Douala, touching themes such as economy, history, mobility and the importance of reusing and recycling.

This collaboration with illy is part of illy sustainArt, a project created by the brand with the aim of promoting and supporting artists and curators who live and work in emerging countries. In 2011 the first edition of the illy sustainArt prize was launched, awarding a curator and an artist who are part of the illysustainArt.org network.  illy has also promoted the award for young artists of Gallerie Latino Americane (Latin American Galleries) at the Arco Art Fair in Spain, and it supported IILA - Istituto Italo Latino Americano at the 54th International Art Exhibition of the Venice Biennale.