Dissection by Vhils @ EDP Foundation
Probably one of the most impressive shows we’ve seen lately, ‘Dissection’ by Vhils was open from July 4th to October 5th, 2014, at the EDP Foundation – Electricity Museum in Lisbon, one of the main art institutions in Portugal. The solo show is the artist’s largest to date and the first in a mainstream art institution, with a record-breaking attendance of over 65,600 visits.
The title of the exhibition derives from the Latin dissectio, -onis; it is the act of dissecting, of cutting up an inert body in order to study it, to explore and understand the contents which cannot be perceived from a first layer, where before and during the exhibition you could find interesting updates about the evolution of the show.
According to the info on the artist’s website, once inside, the visitors would walk “through a dark tunnel lined with several stenciled, laser-cut acrylic boards placed over television screens playing videos in the background, presenting a unique experience to Vhils’ latest graphic and typographic work. Proceeding through the various purposely-designed exhibition rooms, viewers access different areas where they can experience distinct styles within his works. Giving the show its name, the exhibit culminates with a dissected underground train carriage suspended from the ceiling which demands lying on the floor to get the full view” (post by Target).
Several public works were included in the show, and certainly the most talked about was ‘Panorama’, a complex 360 degrees piece, with texts, portraits and patterns from areas where the artist has worked, as a comment on the uniformed world we live in today and a “symbolic round-up” of all the efforts in his artistic activity.
Here are other insights from HYPEBEAST, who also had the chance to interview the artist (view video below): “The exhibition highlights marginalized sectors of society via the display of portraits of the underprivileged and the rebellious. Using drills and other etching tools, Vhils carved through billboards made up of layers of old propaganda murals, advertisements, and coats of graffiti — each layer representing a different social system. <<We are a result of everything that surrounds us, and the walls are comprised of layers of social and political reform Lisbon has undergone. Each city has its own layers and I want to dissect its respective history via my artwork>>, says the 27-year-old artist”.
They also mention that “the exhibition splits into nine rooms with Vhils trademark approach displayed across various canvases; posters and other works on paper and compositions in metal and wood, while we also get a glimpse of collaborative pieces with CYRCLE. and Buraka Som Sistema. The various sectors lead to the front area of an urban metro carriage, hung in midair some five meters in length, its constituent parts detached and exposed. Coated in white, the installation pays homage to Vhils’ roots in graffiti and the practice of painting on trains”.
THE SHOW
Photos via Underdogs
Photos by Stick2Target via the artist
Video and interview by HYPEBEAST
Photos by Filipe Rebelo and Stick2target via the website of the show
Directed by João Pedro Moreira via the website of the show
Making of / Photos by Rui Gaiola via the website of the show
Making of via the website of the show
Video by BRO CINEMA
PUBLIC WORKS
Vhils – ‘Panorama’ / Photo by Silvia Lopes via the website of the show
Vhils – ‘Panorama’ / Photos by Stick2Target via the artist
Photo credits: Silvia Lopes, Alexander Silva and Rui Gaiola via the website of the show
Video by BRO CINEMA
Photo via the website of the show
In case you missed out or were unable to attend the show, you can still get the exclusive lithographic print (only a few left) and the catalog (50 copies signed by the artist) released during the show from the Underdogs online shop.
You can also visit his current solo show at Magda Danysz Gallery in Paris, open until November 15th, 2014.
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Find out more about Vhils on his website, on Facebook, Tumblr and Instagram.