Robert Wilson, a theater producer since the 1960s, recently partnered with the illy Art Collection to create a line of of espresso cups inspired by his Watermill Center arts and humanities laboratory. In addition to Wilson’s own cup, which features the word “ok” again and again in red (an homage to one of his earliest sparsely-worded productions), the set features contributions from five other artists who participated in Watermill’s International Summer Program.
Above image: Several illy Art Collection designs. Photograph by Alberto Zanetti.
More than that, Wilson and illy launched the set in a grandoise way by hosting a performance art showcase at Milan’s Triennale Design Museum. Wallpaper has the story and its description of the event is causing a fair amount of envy within CFile’s office in dusty Santa Fe. The showcase kicked off with a topless rock climber scaling a metallic sculpture and from there included everything from cross-dressers, strolling artists humming impromptu tunes, models sprouting flower petals from their heads, someone babbling nonsense into a microphone and a gorilla lounging in a recliner.
We miss all the good parties.
Bill Rodgers is a Contributing Editor at CFile.
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Robert Wilson’s design for the Watermill Center collection for illy.
The Watermill Collection for illy.
illy art director Carlo Bach juggling espresso cups. Photograph by Alberto Zanetti.
The back yard of Milan’s Triennale Design Museum.
Party-goers chat with Robert Wilson next to an installation of the Watermill Collection.
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