Illy turns Venice’s waters into a dreamlike stage for contemporary coffee culture

For Biennale Arte 2026, illy transformed its signature espresso cup into a floating public artwork on Venice’s Riva Ca’ di Dio. Four oversized cups, designed by Alice Maher, Werewere Liking, Thania Petersen and Mohammed Z. Rahman, brought cultural storytelling to the water’s edge, responding to the Biennale theme In Minor Keys. Born first as an AI-generated image, the installation became a rare physical spectacle where craft, technology and brand heritage moved in perfect rhythm.