illycaffè, the iconic Italian coffee brand, will serve as the official coffee sponsor for the fourth edition of Spark Art Fair Vienna, which brings together leading international galleries and artists at Marx Halle from March 21 to 23, 2025.
The partnership aims to seamlessly merge the beauty of contemporary art with the excellence of illy’s coffee blend, crafted from just the top 1% of Arabica beans. Attendees can enjoy a moment of respite at the illy coffee bar, in the main hall, VIP lounge, and backstage areas. Visitors will also have the chance to explore the latest illy Art Collection, featuring espresso cups designed by Syrian artist Simone Fattal, Iranian Shirin Neshat, Italian Monica Bonvicini, and Milan-based, Senegalese-born Binta Diaw. Each artist has used the illy cup as a canvas to address urgent cultural, environmental, and social issues, sharing their perspectives as women from diverse cultural and social backgrounds.
“We are proud to support Spark Art Fair Vienna for the first time, a fair that makes contemporary art more accessible, democratic, and engaging,” said Cristina Scocchia, CEO of illycaffè. “This collaboration further reinforces our longstanding commitment to the arts, a central pillar of our corporate identity. By pairing our exceptional coffee with the creativity of contemporary artists, we aim to offer visitors a unique sensory experience.”
For illycaffè, contemporary art enhances the beauty of taste. The company draws inspiration from the ancient Greek concept of kalokagathía, which unites kalòs (beauty) and agathòs (good) to create a new definition where beauty and goodness are inseparable. The illy Art Collection, which began in 1992, transforms a daily object into a canvas, inviting artists to share their creativity on the cup designed by Matteo Thun for illy. Over the years, more than 100 renowned artists—including Michelangelo Pistoletto, Marina Abramović, Anish Kapoor, James Rosenquist, William Kentridge, Yoko Ono, Mona Hatoum, Robert Wilson, and Ai Weiwei—have contributed to this ongoing project.