VHILS exhibits his sculptural take on globalization with two solo shows in paris

alexandre farto, aka VHILS, uses destructive methods of production to reflect on the interrelationship that exists between people and the places in which they live. he began to develop his language through graffiti art during his youth in portugal and is now known for his massive works of carved portraiture, primarily on exterior walls of public urban spaces. though he works with a variety of materials, VHILS has shown an inclination toward working with walls, as he had described, ‘because of their layers, rich textures and the narrative they hold within.’ in his two latest exhibitions in paris, this practice of exploiting a material’s layered characteristics is used to reflect on a symbolic layering that he sees as taking place in today’s society through urbanism and globalization.

subtractive material practice | all photos courtesy of josé pando lucas

VHILS‘ two exhibitions are entitled fragments urbains and décombres. the work is ‘focused on raising issues in connection with and reflecting on the dominant model of globalized development and the nature of contemporary urban societies.’ this model not only has an impact on the planet and its resources, but on the lives and identities of people worldwide. VHILS further reflects on the developing phenomenon of cultural homogenization.

exposure of urban layers

although VHILS admits that processes of globalization can be beneficial, he argues that ‘there is also a dark side to them.’ the inevitability of high-impacting urbanization dramatically changes the relationship between the individual, the collective identity, and the natural surroundings. he illustrates: ‘because more than half of the world’s population is now concentrated in urban environments, we have been sold this utopian delirium that a non-stop cycle of development, production and consumption is a universal magic formula‘. he argues that development and change must be guided by necessity rather than by the fulfillment of unrealistic desires.

VHILS works with a variety of materials

VHILS looks toward cities as a symptom and catalyst of this reality. ‘mimicking the natural process of birth and decay, their walls, advertising hoardings and other surfaces in their public spaces are in constant mutation, registering these transformations in a constant palimpsestic process where, layer upon layer, the new replaces the old. even when the old was only just yesterday’s news.‘

alexandre farto aka VHILS in his studio

as VHILS physically and symbolically carves into these urban layers, he questions the affect they have on our identity as human beings. he questions: ‘where is the essence of our history and our past amidst the excess of information we are constantly being fed on a daily basis? where lies our future amid all of this?‘

décombres | galerie magda danysz | 20 may – 16 june 2018