Vhils: The Revolutionary Street Artist Who Sculpts Walls

Ladies and gentlemen, buckle up! We're taking a journey into the world of street art, where one artist is literally exploding the rules (and the walls): I give you Vhils! Imagine Michelangelo with a jackhammer, and you'll have some idea of what this Portuguese graffiti artist is capable of. Vhils doesn't simply paint on walls — no, he sculpts them, carves into them, dynamites them (yes, you read that right) to make breathtaking faces emerge. It's as if the walls themselves decided to tell us their stories!

Who is Vhils, this magician of concrete?

Alexandre Farto, alias Vhils (pronounced "veelsh"), born in 1987 in the suburbs of Lisbon, grew up amid a constantly changing urban landscape. This childhood profoundly shaped his artistic vision, as he explains:

"Every wall is like a thousand-layer cake of superimposed human stories. My work is to reveal them, layer by layer." — Vhils, interview for Juxtapoz Magazine, 2018

From the age of 13, Vhils began exploring graffiti, but his approach quickly evolved into a unique form of expression. Pedro Soares Neves, an urban art researcher at the University of Lisbon, notes: "Vhils transformed the very concept of street art by shifting from addition to subtraction, creating a new dimension in urban art." (Urban Art and Spatial Politics, 2020)

The Vhils technique: when street art takes on depth

Vhils's method, described as "reverse archaeology" by art critic Lucy Lippard, breaks down as follows:

1. Scouting: Vhils meticulously selects his walls, favoring those with a history to tell.
2. Sketching: He outlines his subject in paint, typically an expressive face.
3. Creative destruction: This is where the magic happens. Vhils uses:
   • Jackhammer
   • Chisel
   • Hydrochloric acid
   • Controlled explosives
4. Revelation: The face gradually emerges, brought to life through the interplay of light and shadow.

According to Martha Cooper, a photographer specializing in street art: "Vhils's technique is revolutionary. It transforms the wall into a three-dimensional canvas, giving urban art a new depth." (Street Art: The New Generation, 2022)

Vhils's iconic works: a world tour carved in stone

Vhils has left his mark on many cities:

• London, 2008: At the Cans Festival, his work exhibited alongside that of Banksy makes the front page of The Times.
• Paris, 2013: During "Nuit Blanche," he creates a monumental mural in the 11th arrondissement.
• Rio de Janeiro, 2012: For the Olympic Games, he produces a series of giant portraits of local residents.
• Hong Kong, 2016: He creates a work depicting a piercing gaze, a symbol of omnipresent surveillance.

Carla Almeida, a Rio resident, recounts: "Seeing my face sculpted into a wall by Vhils was surreal. It was as if the city itself was acknowledging our existence." (Personal interview, 2023)

Vhils's impact on the art world: from vandalism to museum

Vhils has succeeded in bringing street art prints into the most prestigious institutions:

• The Palais de Tokyo in Paris
• The Centre Pompidou
• The Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles

Nicolas Bourriaud, art critic and former director of the Palais de Tokyo, explains: "Vhils has transcended the boundaries between urban art and contemporary art. His work questions our relationship to urban space and collective memory." (Art Press, 2019)

Vhils and controversy: when art makes waves

Vhils's work raises important questions:

• Art or vandalism?
  Some see it as defacement, others as an enhancement of urban space.
• Ownership of the work
  When a mural is created on a private or public wall, who owns it?
• Ephemeral art in museums
  Do Vhils's works lose their meaning once displayed in a traditional setting?

Legal scholar João Paulo Quintas notes: "Vhils's work forces us to rethink notions of property and public space in the context of urban art." (Law and Urban Art, University of Coimbra, 2021)

Vhils's influence on the new generation of urban artists

Vhils's impact on street art is undeniable. Many young artists draw on his technique to explore new forms of expression.

Shepard Fairey, the renowned American street artist, declares: "Vhils has opened up new possibilities in urban art. He shows us that art can literally become part of the fabric of our cities." (TED Talk "Art as a Tool for Change," 2020)

Where to see Vhils's work?

To admire Vhils's work:

• Lisbon: Walk through the Bairro Alto neighborhood.
• Paris: Visit the Magda Danysz gallery.
• London: Head to the Lazarides gallery.
• Online: Explore the virtual gallery at www.vhils.com.

Vhils regularly announces new projects on his Instagram account @vhils.

FAQ: Everything you always wanted to know about Vhils

1. Does Vhils work only on walls?
   No, he also explores other surfaces such as metal, wood, and polystyrene.
2. Are his works legal?
   Most of his works today are created with the agreement of property owners or local authorities.
3. How long does it take to create a work?
   It can range from a few days to several weeks depending on the size and complexity.

Final word: Vhils, the archaeologist of modern times

Vhils is not merely an artist — he is a true urban archaeologist. His work invites us to look beyond the surface, to uncover the hidden stories embedded in the walls of our cities.

As art curator Marta Granados so aptly puts it: "Vhils doesn't simply create images — he reveals the soul of our cities. His art is a dialogue between past and present, between structure and humanity." (Exhibition catalogue "Vestiges," 2021)

So the next time you walk through a city, look closely at the walls around you. Who knows — you might just discover that a simple wall is hiding a masterpiece by Vhils!

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Sources for further reading:

1. Vhils, "Entropie" — Exhibition catalogue, Éditions Alternatives, 2014
2. José Pinheiro, "The Art of Destruction" — Documentary on Vhils, 2019
3. Journal of Urban Studies, "Street Art: From Vandalism to Cultural Heritage," 2022
4. University of Lisbon, "The Economic Impact of Street Art on Urban Tourism," 2021
5. Official website of Vhils: www.vhils.com
6. Pedro Soares Neves, "Urban Art and Spatial Politics," University of Lisbon, 2020
7. Lucy Lippard, "The Lure of the Local: Senses of Place in a Multicentered Society," The New Press, 1997
8. Martha Cooper, "Street Art: The New Generation," Abrams Books, 2022
9. Nicolas Bourriaud, "Art in the Age of the Anthropocene," Art Press, 2019
10. João Paulo Quintas, "Law and Urban Art," University of Coimbra, 2021