The Dictador 5 Decades collection is equal parts sculpture and spirit

When the great Richard Orlinski was asked to come up with a design for rum bottles that functioned as both rare spirits and fine art, the artist welcomed the challenge as a “fusion of two universes.” And he couldn’t have asked for a better partner in Dictador Rum.

The collaboration would end up creating a limited-edition collection that reflected the dynamism of the artist’s life and the brand’s century-old prestige. Today, the Dictador x Orlinski 5 Decades Collection remains one of Dictador’s finest products yet.

“This groundbreaking collaboration with one of the world’s most exciting and renowned contemporary artists is another big step for Dictador,” Dictador Creative Director Ken Grier says at the time of the line’s release. “This latest collaboration sees us operating at the pinnacle of the most desired, collectable and coolest spirits in the world with the launch of these beautifully crafted art pieces.”

The Dictador x Orlinski 5 Decades Collection can also be viewed as a culmination of the contemporary French artist’s five-decade-long art practice. A decorated industrial sculptor, Orlinski’s work is synonymous with monochromatic diamond-cut sculptures of wildlife and cultural icons. “I wanted to bring a creative notion to dress this collection of spirits so that it is unique. It’s a way of taking up a challenge; to bring art where we don’t expect it,” he adds.

Most evidently, he has always had a keen fascination with the gorilla as a subject in his work, having recreated images of the primate multiple times now in resin and aluminium. Among his best-known reiterations of such include Thinker Kong, Wild Kong, and Wild Kong Oil. Today, he remains one of the highest-selling contemporary artists around the world.

What also makes this collection so coveted is the rum inside the art pieces. Blended by Dictador Distillery Master Hernan Parra, Dictador 5 Decades makes use of rum from finely aged 1966, 1976, 1986, 1996, and 2006 casks. Each is indicative of Orlinski’s own life. Parra was said to have personally selected the barrels from the family’s private stock in Colombia. Interestingly, the barrels from which the liquid comes from won’t be used in future commercially-available Dictador products again.

Comprising six blended expressions, the Dictador x Orlinski 5 Decades Collection comes in a signature RO gold, blue, red, white, and black. This celebrated collaboration only made 525 bottles available worldwide, 100 each per colour plus another 25 hand-painted and signed by Orlinski himself. Each piece retails for approximately €40,000 or AU$64,800.

For more information, visit Dictador Rum.

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