Want luxe spring entertaining? Today the Facundo Rum Collection, the luxury rum from the Bacardi family’s private reserves, launches an exclusive collaboration with Latin American artist Damian Aquiles. They’re unveiling ten one-of-a-kind luxury bar trays – each created as unique works of art. Art meets hospitality? Sign us up.

Marking his first exhibition in New York since 2004, Cuban artist Aquiles is collaborating with Facundo to celebrate the exciting and diverse world of Latin American art and culture that is inherent to the brand’s origin.

From the incredible liquid to the exquisite bottles – inspired by the brand’s Cuban heritage, as well as the Art Deco period of the 1930s, since its creation Facundo carried on the history of cultural appreciation intrinsic to the Bacardi and made its mission to ‘elevate rum to an art form.”

That’s why each of the Facundo rums is a masterpiece of its kind, born of 150-years of expertise in the art of rum-making but reinterpreted in a contemporary way, with the Maestro de Ron adding his own artistry to the process.

Aquiles explains the parallel he finds inspiring between his creative process and the art of blending Facundo rums. “I chose from hundreds of raw materials to create these bar trays” Aquiles shared. “It takes years of practice and vision to decide which elements have the potential to contribute to a final art piece. The materials look totally different at the beginning of the process than at the end, but I know in my mind how they can contribute to the overall work of art from the start. I can imagine a Maestro de Ron, in a similar way, has to choose amongst hundreds of rums, some aged and very complex, and decide which ones will best contribute to create an exceptional blend – that also takes expertise and vision.”

Each of the bar trays from the new collection is unique. Featuring vivid hues painted on salvaged and repurposed Cuban-sourced sheet metal, then doused in gasoline and fired up, so no two trays are the same. In fact, select Facundo bar trays will be displayed at the Aquiles “Alquimista” exhibition at the Highline Gallery in Manhattan from March 29 - April 7 curated by Natalie Kates Projects.

For more information visit http://www.facundorum.com