Hennessy‘s latest artist collaboration is here.  For the 8^th annual V.S Limited Edition release the brand has collaborated with urban architect, Alexandre Farto – aka “Vhils.” Previous artists include KAWS, Futura, Os Gêmeos, Shepard Fairey, and Scott Campbell among others. Hitting shelves next month, the Lisbon-based artist design embodies themes of his signature work: complex, large-scale urban expressionism that pushes boundaries.

Vhils has received global notoriety for his “aesthetics of vandalism” – using mediums like stencil painting and wall carvings to corrosive acids, pyrotechnic explosions, 3D modeling & installations. Music is also an essential facet of Vhils’ work and his design for Hennessy is fittingly infused with the color & energy of hip-hop music.

Rooted in the artist’s motto of “Making the Invisible Visible,” the custom-designed bottle opens an exciting new page in Hennessy’s longstanding tradition of artistic partnerships. The bottle is the eighth in an ongoing series of innovative collaborations between Hennessy V.S and several internationally renowned artists.

On the surface, Vhils is a graffiti writer turned art world phenomenon, but he is much more than that: Vhils is sui generis: innovative, visionary, in a class by himself. Distinguished as the great disrupter of his generation, Vhils is often described as an “urban archaeologist” who gleans inspiration from growing up in the fast-changing capital of post-revolutionary Portugal. Having established his signature on city walls, Vhils quickly moved on to pioneer a new form of urban expressionism through monumental portraits cut, composed, chiseled or exploded from built-up layers of paint or paper, stone, wood, steel or concrete and infused with the color and energy of the hip-hop music scene.

For Hennessy, Vhils’ approach to his art is a fitting metaphor for the art of Cognac-making: both rely on the unpredictable, immutable force of time and elements. For each, the creative process is a poetic quest to make the invisible visible.

“When I discovered the story behind Hennessy, I realized that this collaboration was a perfect fit with my art and ideals. I’ve been pushing the boundaries for 10 years, but then I realized that Hennessy’s been doing it for more than 250,” Vhils explained. “Whether it’s about exposing the nature of a city or blending a perfect Cognac, for both of us, the essential element is time. You have to wait for it, let it do its job, and then work with the layers time has shaped. There’s no speeding up the process and there’s always an element of risk-taking.”

As the guest artist for Hennessy Very Special Limited Edition 2018, Vhils selected hallmarks from the Hennessy archives, such as the Three Star emblem, and reproduced Cognac’s amber hues through experimentation with paper, heat and acid.

To celebrate this collaboration, Vhils will embark on a worldwide tour with Hennessy to reveal the new V.S Limited Edition bottle and create immersive new art experiences. Selected stops in this global project, including New York and Chicago, will be the stage for revealing new, site-specific Vhils works that reflect the spirit of Hennessy and the art of making the invisible visible.

The Hennessy V.S Limited Edition bottle by Vhils, approximately $32 (750ml), will be available for purchase starting in July. For more information, visit Hennessy.com or follow Hennessy on Facebook (Facebook.com/Hennessy), Twitter and Instagram (@HennessyUS).

Make the Invisible Visible

• 1.4 oz. Hennessy V.S Cognac
• ½ oz. Lime juice
• .3 oz. Monin vanilla syrup
• 4 oz. Fever Tree ginger beer
• Metal straw

Pour Hennessy V.S lime juice and vanilla syrup into a chilled tumbler. Add ice cubes and top with ginger beer. Stir with bar spoon, garnish with metal straw and serve.