Vhils’ current solo-exhibition at the MIMA Brussels

Portuguese artist Alexandre Farto began interacting visually with the urban environment under the name of Vhils as graffiti writer in the early 2000s. Peeling back the layers of our material culture like a contemporary urban archaeologist, Vhils reflects on the impact of urbanity, development, and increased uniformity on landscapes and people’s identities around the globe. By scratching surfaces Vhils delves into the past and present of societies. The artist digs into their heritage, culture and narratives. The more he digs, the more human stories he brings to light. Throughout his process, he eternalises moments in three elements that are crucial to his work: urban landscapes, patterns and faces. 

By engraving portraits, Vhils carves into the future, although his works are as ephemeral and transitory as history and life itself. In this way the artist bridges the apparent divide between individual and city. As an artistic archeologist, he punctures our perception of cities by emphasizing the human connectedness. Through cutting, drilling and blasting layers of material, he exposes alternate stories. Vhils seeks to make the invisible, that lies beneath the surface of things, visible, creating powerful and poetic visual statements from materials the city rejects. The artist exposes the anonymity that cities can radiate. Large infrastructure hides the organic life and pushes it away into separated spaces. It is people, however, that shape and have congruently shaped these places since their formation. 

MULTITUDE: Carving Memories in the Digital Age by Alexandre Farto aka Vhils at MIMA Museum, Brussels, 28.06.24 – 05.01.25.

(Photo credit: @Alexander Silva, Vhilstudio)