Rémy Martin and Anish Kapoor's Colour-Shifting Cognac

With his reflective portfolio of abstract biomorphic forms and shapely mirror-shine surfaces, Anish Kapoor has now teamed up with the French Cognac Maison, Rémy Martin, for an artful collaboration based around its signature Cognac, XO.

This is not the first time a creative collaboration has subtly transformed the distinctive decanter of Rémy Martin XO. In 2021, French gilding studio Atelier Thiery applied 18-karat gold leaf enamel serigraphy to the XO decanter, creating a mirror-effect square in its centre. In 2022, British product and interior designer, Lee Broom, unleashed his clean-cut contemporary style onto the glass—finely carving ‘starburst cuts’ into its solar shape. And each year, in celebration of Chinese New Year, XO is reborn in keeping with that year’s zodiac animal. Now we turn to Anish Kapoor, and how he's gone about leaving his own artistic fingerprint on the timeless Cognac—both in a decanter design and an artwork synergistically blending his signature sculptural techniques with a visual celebration of Rémy Martin.

Kapoor's Vision

When crafting the limited-edition decanter, Kapoor paused to reflect on his personal connection with the glowing liquid within—drawing on his father’s love for the iconic Cognac. “I thought about how I originally knew it through my father, how I’ve picked it up from my past over the years, so it’s become present and real,” the British-Indian artist remarked.Through this glassy creation, focus turns inward to the contents of XO, seen in a whole new light. Kapoor’s approach to thinking about objects revolves around our relationship with them and the meanings we give them—so when taking a decanter of XO in his hands, he thought of the liquid inside, and how, with every movement and new angle, its appearance alters.

With this realisation, a lightbulb flicked on in Kapoor’s mind and a vision took form: that an artwork encapsulating this Cognac colour shift must come to fruition. Created for the House of Rémy Martin, alongside the planned collaboration, Kapoor produced a painted concave mirror. This reflective circle is inspired by the ever-changing shades of Rémy Martin’s XO eaux-de-vie. Each of the hundreds of hues that combine to form XO—ranging from pale yellow-gold to deep reddish ambers—is captured in this mirror-like portal. As you move around the piece, much like pacing around a bottle of XO, the colours morph and blend as the light plays tricks and perspectives shift. The piece is made to draw those who look into its reflective face into a kaleidoscope of emotions and aromas that embody the very essence of Rémy Martin.

Metallic and Metaphorphic

This same tonal transition and chromatic effect is infused into the decanter, revisiting the original 70cl glass mould to include a central circle similarly concaved to the artwork. Radiating a spectrum of glowing amber hues, the addition of this detail contrasts with the smooth and transparent glass front—overall amplifying the luminous effect of both the decanter and the Cognac it holds. Raising your gaze up to the bottle neck, is has been transformed to a metallic copper, enrobing XO in the magnetised magic of Kapoor from the base up to the stopper.

A Taste of XO

Beyond its notable mahogany tone, any committed Cognac connoisseur will know the scent of XO like the back of their hand (or the tip of their nose). However, for those being presented with the concept of XO for the first time, the Cognac is smooth on the nose with juicy fruit notes, florals like iris and jasmine, warming spices and a subtle hit of rich hazelnut and cocoa. As the liquid hits your tastebuds, you can expect the same flowing flavour of mature fruits and spiced undertones, with overarching notes of toasted almonds.

In the moments after the velvety spirit has passed over your tongue, you are left with a creamy and satisfying depth that lingers with oak and sweet vanilla. This is what XO is said to leave on the senses, but, much like glancing over its woody colour at different angles, the notes can also shift depending on your perspective…similarly to how Kapoor views the world around him: “Objects are not simply as described. Most of them have double lives: the one they say they have, and another that is to do with our own sense of what they might be.” It's all about perspective.

The Rémy Martin x Anish Kapoor Artistic Collaboration Limited Edition XO Cognac is now available at Selfridges in-store and online via this link.

Find out more about the mesmerising collaboration via remymartin.com