X MUSE Temple opens at Jupiter Artland - an immersive new Scottish vodka tasting experience designed by Formafantasma

First brand residence by international design studio Formafantasma unveiled

ʹIntroducing the new X MUSE Templeʹ a flagship physical embodiment of the name sake,high-end vodka brand born at Jupiter Artland, the award-winning sculpture park located just outside Edinburgh. X MUSE, pronounced ‘tenth muse’ is the first blended barley vodka inspired by Scottish spirit-making at the convergence of drinks innovation and art thinking. Infused with the art and spring water residing at the parkland, the breakthrough vodka took three years to perfect.

The permanent Temple and furniture were designed by the internationally renowned Milan-based design studio Formafantasmato create a bespoke brand experience for X MUSE. Having most recently designed the Central Pavilion at this year’s Venice Biennale, the Temple is the first piece of work the studio has completed inScotland.

With a deep-rooted passion for sustainability and having carved a reputation for thoughtful, research-led design, Formafantasma has carefully placed emphasis on the provenance and quality of each element of the Temple and tasting ritual to reflect the spirit and craftsmanship of X MUSE. The solar dome of the Temple is built in clear glass, inviting the surrounding nature of Jupiter Artland inside the Temple to create an immersive experience that awakens all senses.

Within the dome itself, the X MUSE Helicon tasting workshop comprises objects handcrafted using materials sourced in the UK, to bring to life the alchemy intrinsic to the vodka and steeped inartistic references. Bronze vessels and glorifiers are made by Powderall Bronze, an Edinburgh-based sculpture and metal work studio and have each been hand-patinated and hand-engraved with the X MUSE brand illustrations. The elegant central tasting table is made from blackened oak and solid Scottish granite and crafted locally. The oak dining chairs, also designed by Formafantasma, are finished with Bouclé Ivory textiles. With cues taken from the most prestigious luxury destinations, the glassware was designed by Lobmeyr, the 200-yearAustrian fine crystal designers.

The brand illustrations, etched onto the dome, product and tasting experience objects bring symbolic life to X MUSE’s guiding ethos. Researched and designed by the all-female graphic design studio A Practice for Everyday Life, who we reappointed to provide the graphic identity for the 2022 Venice Biennale, the alchemical symbols were used in hermetic texts as a form of notation. The Monas Hieroglyphica is an esoteric symbol created by John Dee in the 16th century, and its meaning is linked to the essence of the X MUSE distillation process – a coming together of the sun or fire, the moon or water, the earth and air.

X MUSE co-founders Robert Wilson and Vadim Grigoryan explain: “Good sipping vodka relies on the perfection of its ingredients, grain and water, and the art and the fanatical control of distillation process, both of which we pursued for X MUSE. We wanted to bring to life the unprecedented attention to detail that have gone into the making and ingredients of X MUSE. The materials used to create the X MUSE Temple, which is a space that ritualises the brand’s inspiration and philosophy, allows guests to best explore its smooth and complex flavour.”

Formafantasma Founders Andrea Trimarchi and Simone Farresin added: “Our design practise has always been rooted in researching themes that transcend history and focus on today and the future. This is exactly why X MUSE was a perfect partner for us, as the brand’s ethos is about the blending of cultural history with an edgy approach to alchemy and contemporary art.

X MUSE’s rich field of inspiration made it easy for us to respond to the brief through a unique palette of materials, textures and tones, yet in a minimalist way that is layered with meaning, similar to the X MUSE bottle and graphic identity. We also wanted to reflect the vodka’s strong Scottish roots by selecting authentic materials that could be found in and around Scotland, including, wool, wood, granite, and glass deployed throughout the X MUSE Temple and tasting experience objects”

The X MUSE Temple resides alongside large-scale artworks by notable artists such as Tracey Emin, Antony Gormley, Cornelia Parker, and Anish Kapoorat Jupiter Artland. As the spiritual home of X MUSE, guests are invited to immerse themselves in the inspirations behind the luxury spirit. Tickets to the Temple include access to Jupiter Artland, where visitors will be able to walk through Charles Jencks Cells of Life, the landscape sculpture that sits above the ancient aquifer at Jupiter Artland where water for making X MUSE is drawn from, view Anya Gallaccio’s The Light Pours Out of Me, a subterranean grotto lined with dazzling purple amethysts, which inspired the processing of the water to increase its energy, and see the statue by Scottish poet, artist and gardener Ian Hamilton Finlay that inspired the brand’s name.

The intimate Helicon experience is a full-scale product presentation and tasting for 5-15 guests, conducted by an expert X MUSE guide, and includes: