lazarides shows vhils - aka alexandre farto

installation at the 'scratching the surface'
image © designboom

the first UK solo show from vhils, aka alexandre farto, features a series of
new works influenced by his native city of lisbon at a time of revolution.

entitled 'scratching the surface', the exhibition reflects on revolution as a time
when walls turn into instruments of communication and hope for the masses,
and the remnants of which become a decaying playground for this young artist
as he searches for his place and identity.

by re-contextualising the urban setting, vhils explores and questions the many
dimensions of cities and their inhabitants in a series of playful works. focusing
on the people that inhabit the artist’s multicultural environment vhils draws
attention to the layers that underlie it. a set of portraits of unknown faces use
unconventional techniques and materials; acid and bleach eat into surfaces to
expose the layers beneath, the act of destruction becoming an act of creation,
posters that exemplify a consumer society are subtly converted into objects
poignantly celebrating humankind.

in his street work he discards posters, metal and paper and comes face to face with
the rawness of the naked wall. he continues his celebration of the humanity underlying
the urban canvas, this time by scratching beautiful portraits directly onto its walls.
'scratching the surface' will run until 1st of august at lazarides, london.


'scratching the surface'
image © designboom


installation in 'scratching the surface' exhibition
image © designboom


installation in 'scratching the surface' exhibition
image © designboom


view of the exhibition
image © designboom


glimpse of a fading moment 2
collected posters from the streets, acrylic, resin
100 cm x 135 cm
image © designboom


everything is ephemeral 3
collected posters from the streets, acrylic
180 cm x 127 cm
image © designboom


to have or to be 12
collected billboards, acrylic and spray paint, framed
150 x 202 cm
image © designboom


detail
image © designboom


portraits on the columns on the ground floor of the gallery
image © designboom


a portrait on the column at the gallery
image © designboom


detail
image © designboom


a portrait on the column at the gallery
image © designboom


fragments from scratching the surface of the column
image © designboom


everything is ephemeral 4
collected posters from the streets, acrylic, framed
125 cm x 170 cm
image © designboom


to have or to be 8
collected posters from the streets, acrylic, framed
107 cm x 110 cm (unframed)
image © designboom


to have or to be 8
image © designboom


to have or to be 11
collected posters from the streets, acrylic, resin
120 cm x 110 cm
image © designboom


everything is ephemeral 5
collected billboard posters and acrylic, framed
143 cm x 207 cm
image © designboom


glimpse of a fading moment 4
collected posters from the streets, acrylic, framed
110 cm x 140 cm (unframed)
image © designboom


to have or to be 10
collected posters from the streets, acrylic, resin
95 cm x 130 cm
image © designboom


everything is ephemeral 1
collected posters from the streets, acrylic, resin
180 cm x 127 cm x 35 cm
image © designboom


glimpse of a fading moment 1
collected posters from the streets, acrylic, resin
92 cm x 142 cm
image © designboom


to have or to be 3
collected posters from the streets, acrylic, resin
200 cm x 150 cm
image © designboom


to have or to be 9
collected posters from the streets, acrylic, framed
110 cm x 130 cm (unframed)
image © designboom



beauty is skin deep, ugly lies the bone; beauty dies and fades away, but ugly holds its own
found objects, mixed media
250 cm x 200 cm
image © designboom


beauty is skin deep, ugly lies the bone; beauty dies and fades away, but ugly holds its own
image © designboom


detail
image © designboom


disintegration series
image © designboom


disintegration 1
acid and varnish on steel
60 cm x 77 cm
image © designboom


disintegration 2
acid and varnish on steel
60 cm x 77 cm
image © designboom


disintegration 2
image © designboom


disintegration 3
acid and varnish on steel
60 cm x 77 cm
image © designboom


destroy to create 1 ['destruir para criar']
found objects, mixed media
180 cm x 100 cm
image © designboom


to have or to be 5
collected posters from the streets, acrylic, resin
200 cm x 150 cm
image © designboom


glimpse of a fading moment 3
collected posters from the streets, acrylic, resin
70 cm x 125 cm
image © designboom


destroy to create 2 ['destruir para criar']
found objects, mixed media
75 cm x 45 cm
image © designboom


destroy to create 3 ['destruir para criar']
found wooden board, mixed media
84 cm x 112 cm
image © designboom


destroy to create 3 ['destruir para criar']
image © designboom

view the making of 'scratching the surface' here