Illy coffee launches a special edition packaging in Romania, designed by a Romanian artist

Illy coffee launches a special edition packaging in Romania, with 20,000 coffee boxes to be decorated by a Romanian artist as part of a pilot project.

The Italian premium coffee brand illycaffè and its Romanian distributor Pro Brands Distribution launched, in the end of 2014, a pilot project, Design the illy can, aimed to encourage young artists’ creativity.

illycaffè is known for its collaboration in the art world over the years, no matter it was about contributions in creating and exhibiting contemporary art, supporting young artists and known ones  – Marina Abramovic, Michelangelo Pistoletto, Jannis Kounellis, Daniel Buren, fotograful Sebastião Salgado and James Rosenquist – or involvement in literature with illywords project.

A project started in 1992, illy Art Collection coffee mugs and illy limited edition boxes are 2 of the most important actions made by illycaffè over the time and which continue also today.

As a first, illycaffè launched Design the illy can in partnership with UNArte – National Fine Arts University in Bucharest, in order to select a work made by an unknown young artist and which will be used to decorate the illy can.

Over 150 young Romanian artists answered to Design the illy can challenge and sent their works; the winning design came from Andrei Macesanu, first year student in UNArte’s Graphic Design section and a person involved in a number of graphic design and illustration projects.

Started from a hand drawn draft, Andrei digitally refined the opera which is focused on curiosity and shapes up a connections network between many human silhouettes. The common trait which activates the entire group represented and puts everyone in motion is the morning coffee.

Besides the unique opportunity to have his work exhibited on 20,000 mugs to be distributed in Romania, the prize also brought Andrei a trip to Venice Biennale, a visit to illy’s facility in Trieste and illy products. Moreover, top 2o most inspired works will be part of an exhibition to take place in April.