ART OF THE EYE: Safilo, which celebrates its 80th anniversary this year, has strengthened its ties with Venice’s Peggy Guggenheim Collection museum.
The Italian eyewear company first collaborated with the art institution in 2004, creating a re-edition of Peggy Guggenheim’s iconic butterfly-shaped sunglasses that are currently available at the museum store. Now, Safilo has joined Intrapresae Collezione Guggenheim, a group of international companies founded in 1992, which, along with the Peggy Guggenheim Collection, support a series of projects promoting art and its educational and business potential.
“It is a great honor for us to renew our collaboration with the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice,” said Safilo Group chief executive officer Luisa Delgado. “The bond between Safilo, the celebrated American art patron and the city of Venice is strong, and has always been a source of inspiration and emotion for us. We hope we will be able to share these feelings with all our people and those who are close to us.”
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“Peggy Guggenheim was one of the most charismatic figures in the history of art collecting in the 20th century and a great promoter of the art of her time, discovering and promoting artists of the caliber of Jackson Pollock,” said Peggy Guggenheim Collection director Philip Rylands. “I’m very pleased that the same spirit of patronage animates yet another of our member companies – Safilo – which also has its roots in the same region and can participate in our project with impassioned enthusiasm for the benefit of the art of today and of tomorrow.”
To celebrate this new collaboration, Safilo, which has realized a new limited edition of the Peggy Guggenheim eyewear style, will organize a series of initiatives at the Venetian Guggenheim museum over the next two years, including an exhibition opening on Sept. 4 where the eyewear company will showcase its history, highlighting its unique expertise. In addition, in conjunction with the launch of the retrospective, Safilo will unveil a new, exclusive technique to be used in its eyewear lines.