Illy announces recipient of its SustainArt studio residency

Illy has announced Felipe Arturo as the recipient of the illy SustainArt studio residency, which will last for three months at the Fondazione Bevilacqua La Masa (BLM) exhibition space, in Venice, Italy. The illy SustainArt project was founded in 2007 with the intention of expanding illycaffè's involvement in contemporary art and extending its approach towards sustainable development to the international artistic community. “This year, the high quality of the pieces submitted has once again made the selection process extremely difficult,” said Carlo Bach, Artistic Director of illycaffè, in a statement. “Nonetheless, the work submitted by Colombian artist, Felipe Arturo, stood out for the extraordinary formal synthesis.” Arturo will stay at the Palazzo Carminati guesthouse, living in close contact with the other young beneficiaries of the Foundation's awards. At Arturo’s disposal will be a workshop within the Saints Cosma and Damiano studio complex, where the Foundation will arrange frequent journalist, critics and curators studio visits. Arturo will have the opportunity to present his work to the general public during the Artists' Talk sessions and Open Studios days. Arturo was born in Bogotá, Colombia, in 1979. After graduating in architecture from the Universidad de los Andes in Bogotá, Arturo went on to specialise in Art at Columbia University in New York. Illy’s SustainArt project is centred around the website www.illysustainArt.org. The website is intended to be a point of reference and a place for meeting for artists and curators from emerging countries. Illy said it hopes to give emerging artist the chance to show their work to renowned exponents of international contemporary art.