Alexandre Farto aka Vhils / Works

Alexandre Farto aka Vhils, Amber Series #12, 2022. Advertising posters, spray paint, glue, crystal epoxy. 85 x 49.5 x 15 cm. 179 x 50.5 x 33.5 (with podium). Unique
Alexandre Farto aka Vhils, Amber Series #12, 2022. Advertising posters, spray paint, glue, crystal epoxy. 85 x 49.5 x 15 cm. 179 x 50.5 x 33.5 (with podium). Unique
Alexandre Farto aka Vhils, Amber Series #12, 2022 (detail). Advertising posters, spray paint, glue, crystal epoxy. 85 x 49.5 x 15 cm. 179 x 50.5 x 33.5 (with podium). Unique
Alexandre Farto aka Vhils, Amber Series #12, 2022 (detail). Advertising posters, spray paint, glue, crystal epoxy. 85 x 49.5 x 15 cm. 179 x 50.5 x 33.5 (with podium). Unique



Alexandre Farto aka Vhils, Unearth Series #17, 2022. Hand-carved advertising posters. 179 x 127 cm. U






Alexandre Farto aka Vhils, Unearth Series #17, 2022. Hand-carved advertising posters. 179 x 127 cm. U
Alexandre Farto aka Vhils, Atomizer Series #26, 2022. Advertising posters, spray paint, glue, crystal epoxy. Unique
Alexandre Farto aka Vhils, Atomizer Series #26, 2022. Advertising posters, spray paint, glue, crystal epoxy. Unique
Alexandre Farto aka Vhils, Whole Series #03, 2022. Hand-carved advertising posters. 100 x 70 cm. Unique
Alexandre Farto aka Vhils, Whole Series #03, 2022. Hand-carved advertising posters. 100 x 70 cm. Unique
Alexandre Farto aka Vhils, Whole Series #09, 2022. Hand-carved advertising posters. 100 x 70 cm. Unique
Alexandre Farto aka Vhils, Whole Series #09, 2022. Hand-carved advertising posters. 100 x 70 cm. Unique
Alexandre Farto aka Vhils, Beam Series #18, 2021. Hand-carved advertising posters. 187 x 131 cm. Unique
Alexandre Farto aka Vhils, Beam Series #18, 2021. Hand-carved advertising posters. 187 x 131 cm. Unique
Alexandre Farto aka Vhils, Scrape Series #09, 2022. Hand-carved advertising posters. 184 x 146 cm. Unique
Alexandre Farto aka Vhils, Scrape Series #09, 2022. Hand-carved advertising posters. 184 x 146 cm. Unique
Alexandre Farto aka Vhils, Graven Series #14, 2022. Hand-carved old wooden doors. 68,5 x 214 cm. Unique
Alexandre Farto aka Vhils, Graven Series #14, 2022. Hand-carved old wooden doors. 68,5 x 214 cm. Unique
Alexandre Farto aka Vhils, Glimmer series #02, 2022. Water jet cut Corian, assembled by hand, led lights. 79,5 x 53,5 x 17 cm. Unique
Alexandre Farto aka Vhils, Glimmer series #02, 2022. Water jet cut Corian, assembled by hand, led lights. 79,5 x 53,5 x 17 cm. Unique
Alexandre Farto aka Vhils, Glimmer series #02, 2022. Water jet cut Corian, assembled by hand, led lights. 79,5 x 53,5 x 17 cm. Unique
Alexandre Farto aka Vhils, Glimmer series #02, 2022. Water jet cut Corian, assembled by hand, led lights. 79,5 x 53,5 x 17 cm. Unique
Exhibition view: Alexandre Farto aka Vhils, Prisma, MAAT – Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology, Lisbon, 2022. Photo: Fernando Guerra
Exhibition view: Alexandre Farto aka Vhils, Prisma, MAAT – Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology, Lisbon, 2022. Photo: Fernando Guerra
Exhibition view: Alexandre Farto aka Vhils, Prisma, MAAT – Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology, Lisbon, 2022. Photo: Fernando Guerra
Exhibition view: Alexandre Farto aka Vhils, Prisma, MAAT – Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology, Lisbon, 2022. Photo: Fernando Guerra
Alexandre Farto aka Vhils, Atomizer Series #11, 2021. Advertising posters, spray paint, glue, crystal epoxy. 150 x 120 cm. Unique
Alexandre Farto aka Vhils, Atomizer Series #11, 2021. Advertising posters, spray paint, glue, crystal epoxy. 150 x 120 cm. Unique
Alexandre Farto aka Vhils, Syncopate Series #05, 2021. Laser-engraved acrylic sheets. 100 × 70 × 35 cm. Unique

Alexandre Farto aka Vhils, Syncopate Series #05, 2021. Laser-engraved acrylic sheets. 100 × 70 × 35 cm. Unique
Alexandre Farto aka Vhils, Amber Series #17, 2021. Hand-carved advertising posters. 107 × 85 cm. Unique
Alexandre Farto aka Vhils, Amber Series #17, 2021. Hand-carved advertising posters. 107 × 85 cm. Unique
Alexandre Farto aka Vhils, Residue Series #22, 2017/2021, Bas-relief carving on plasterboard mounted on metal structure, 200 x 120 x 40 cm
Alexandre Farto aka Vhils, Residue Series #22, 2017/2021, Bas-relief carving on plasterboard mounted on metal structure, 200 x 120 x 40 cm
Alexandre Farto aka Vhils, Amber Series #15, 2021. Hand-carved advertising posters. 108 × 78 cm. Unique
Alexandre Farto aka Vhils, Amber Series #15, 2021. Hand-carved advertising posters. 108 × 78 cm. Unique
Alexandre Farto aka Vhils, Instant Series #24, 2016. Acid-etched metal plate. 100 x 70 cm. Unique
Alexandre Farto aka Vhils, Instant Series #24, 2016. Acid-etched metal plate. 100 x 70 cm. Unique
Alexandre Farto aka Vhils, Amber Series #16, 2021. Hand-carved advertising posters. 112 × 84 cm. Unique
Alexandre Farto aka Vhils, Amber Series #16, 2021. Hand-carved advertising posters. 112 × 84 cm. Unique
Alexandre Farto aka Vhils, Unearth Series #01, 2021. Hand-carved advertising posters. 175 x 127 cm. Unique
Alexandre Farto aka Vhils, Unearth Series #01, 2021. Hand-carved advertising posters. 175 x 127 cm. Unique
Alexandre Farto aka Vhils, Contemplate Series #01, 2021. Hand-carved advertising posters. 174 x 119 cm
Alexandre Farto aka Vhils, Contemplate Series #01, 2021. Hand-carved advertising posters. 174 x 119 cm
Exhibition view: Fenestra, Alexandre Farto aka Vhils, Galeria Vera Cortês, 2021
Exhibition view: Fenestra, Alexandre Farto aka Vhils, Galeria Vera Cortês, 2021
Exhibition view: Fenestra, Alexandre Farto aka Vhils, Galeria Vera Cortês, 2021
Exhibition view: Fenestra, Alexandre Farto aka Vhils, Galeria Vera Cortês, 2021
Alexandre Farto aka Vhils, Parietal Series #01, 2021
Alexandre Farto aka Vhils, Parietal Series #01, 2021
Alexandre Farto aka Vhils, Standing Series #01, 2021
Alexandre Farto aka Vhils, Standing Series #01, 2021
Alexandre Farto aka Vhils, Reflection Series #04, 2020. Hand-carved advertising posters.
Alexandre Farto aka Vhils, Reflection Series #04, 2020. Hand-carved advertising posters.
Alexandre Farto aka Vhils, Umbra Series #26, 2020
Alexandre Farto aka Vhils, Umbra Series #26, 2020
Alexandre Farto aka Vhils, Umbra Series #10, 2020. Hand-carved advertising posters.
Alexandre Farto aka Vhils, Umbra Series #10, 2020. Hand-carved advertising posters.
Alexandre Farto aka Vhils, Strata Series #05, 2020. Hand-carved advertising posters.
Alexandre Farto aka Vhils, Strata Series #05, 2020. Hand-carved advertising posters.
Alexandre Farto aka Vhils
Exhibition view: Intrínseco, Galeria Vera Cortês, 2018
Alexandre Farto aka Vhils
Exhibition view: Intrínseco, Galeria Vera Cortês, 2018
Alexandre Farto aka Vhils
Exhibition view: Intrínseco, Galeria Vera Cortês, 2018
Alexandre Farto aka Vhils
Exhibition view: Intrínseco, Galeria Vera Cortês, 2018
Alexandre Farto aka Vhils, GS1 Portugal, 2 in collaboration with PROMONTORIO architects. Photo: Fernando Guerra | FG+SG
Alexandre Farto aka Vhils, GS1 Portugal, 2 in collaboration with PROMONTORIO architects. Photo: Fernando Guerra | FG+SG
Alexandre Farto aka Vhils
Exhibition view: Haze, Cincinnati Contemporary Arts Center, 2020
(Photo: Fernando Guerra)
Alexandre Farto aka Vhils
Exhibition view: Haze, Cincinnati Contemporary Arts Center, 2020
(Photo: Fernando Guerra)
Alexandre Farto aka Vhils
Exhibition view: Haze, Cincinnati Contemporary Arts Center, 2020
(Photo: Fernando Guerra)
Alexandre Farto aka Vhils
Exhibition view: Haze, Cincinnati Contemporary Arts Center, 2020
(Photo: Fernando Guerra)
Alexandre Farto aka Vhils
Exhibition view: Haze, Cincinnati Contemporary Arts Center, 2020
(Photo: Alexander Silva)
Alexandre Farto aka Vhils
Exhibition view: Haze, Cincinnati Contemporary Arts Center, 2020
(Photo: Alexander Silva)
Alexandre Farto aka Vhils
Exhibition view: Debris, HOCA Foundation, Hong Kong, 2016
Alexandre Farto aka Vhils
Exhibition view: Debris, HOCA Foundation, Hong Kong, 2016

Zoom 1 / 37 Alexandre Farto aka Vhils, Amber Series #12, 2022. Advertising posters, spray paint, glue, crystal epoxy. 85 x 49.5 x 15 cm. 179 x 50.5 x 33.5 (with podium). Unique

Exhibitions

Bio

Portuguese visual artist Alexandre Farto aka Vhils (b. 1987) has developed a unique visual language based on the removal of the surface layers of walls and other media with nonconventional tools and techniques, establishing symbolic reflections on identity, the relationship of interdependence between people and the surrounding environment, and life in contemporary urban societies, as well as the impact of development, the passage of time, and material transformation. Having begun to interact with the urban environment through the practice of graffiti in the early 2000s, Vhils has been hailed as one of the most innovative artists of his generation. His poignant, poetic portraits chiselled into flaking walls can be seen adorning cityscapes around the world. Based on his aesthetics of vandalism, Vhils destroys as a means to create. He carves, cuts, drills, etches and blasts his way through the layers of materials. Yet, like an archaeologist, he removes in order to expose, bringing to light the beauty that lies trapped beneath the surface of things.

Since 2005, he has presented his work in over 30 countries around the world in solo and group exhibitions, site-specific art interventions, artistic events and projects in various contexts – from working with communities in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro, to collaborations with well-reputed artistic and museological institutions such as the Contemporary Arts Center, Cincinnati (2020); Le Centquatre-Paris, Paris (2018); CAFA Art Museum, Beijing (2017); Hong Kong Contemporary Art Foundation, Hong Kong (2016); Palais de Tokyo, Paris (2016); EDP Foundation, Lisbon (2014); and the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, San Diego (2010), among others. An avid experimentalist, besides his groundbreaking bas-relief carving technique – which forms the basis of the “Scratching the Surface” project –, Vhils has been developing his personal aesthetics in a plurality of media: from stencil painting to metal etching, from pyrotechnic explosions and video to sculptural installations. He has also directed several music videos, short films, and two stage productions.

His work is represented in several public and private collections in various countries.

O artista português Alexandre Farto aka Vhils (n. 1987) tem desenvolvido uma linguagem visual singular com base na remoção das camadas superficiais de paredes e outros suportes através de ferramentas e técnicas não convencionais, estabelecendo reflexões simbólicas sobre a identidade,a relação de interdependência entre pessoas e o meio circundante, e a vida nas sociedades urbanas contemporâneas, assim como o impacto do desenvolvimento, da passagem do tempo e da transformação material. Tendo começado a interagir com o espaço urbano através da prática do graffiti no começo da década de 2000, Vhils tem sido aclamado como um dos mais inovadores artistas da sua geração. Os seus poéticos e comoventes retratos gravados em paredes delapidadas podem ser vistos a adornar paisagens urbanas pelo mundo fora. Com base na sua estética do vandalismo, Vhils destrói para criar – entalhando, cortando, perfurando e fazendo explodir através das camadas dos materiais. Porém, como um arqueólogo, Vhils remove de forma a expor, revelando a beleza que se encontra soterrada sob a superfície das coisas.

Desde 2005, já apresentou o seu trabalho em mais de 30 países à volta do mundo em exposições individuais e colectivas, intervenções site-specific, eventos e projectos artísticos em contextos vários – de trabalhos comunitários em favelas no Rio de Janeiro a colaborações com reputadas instituições artísticas e museológicas como o Contemporary Arts Center, Cincinnati (2020); Le Centquatre-Paris, Paris (2018); CAFA Art Museum, Pequim (2017); Hong Kong Contemporary Art Foundation, Hong Kong (2016); Palais de Tokyo, Paris (2016); Fundação EDP, Lisboa (2014); e o Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, San Diego (2010), entre outras. Um ávido experimentalista, além da sua inovadora técnica de escultura em baixo-relevo – que forma a base do projecto “Scratching the Surface” –, Vhils tem desenvolvido a sua estética pessoal numa multiplicidade de suportes: da pintura com stencil à gravura em metal, de explosões pirotécnicas e vídeo a instalações esculturais. Também já realizou vários videoclipes, curtas metragens e duas produções de palco.

Encontra-se representado em diversas colecções públicas e privadas em vários países.

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