Vermibus – No Ads, No Stereotypes, No Lies

Berlin based artist Vermibus challenges the stereotypes of beauty and fashion in a highly consumerist society, where trends usually dictate human behavior, and advertising posters offer an illusive version of reality.

Using solvents, he disfigures fashion icons on outdoor advertisements from big consumerist areas or simply removes them, leaving behind an empty yet clean space. Although the result is temporary, as the posters are quickly replaced with new ones, there is time for people to stop and see the dehumanized, depersonalized characters.

Unmasked, no longer relying on their artificial Photoshop retouched beauty, looking rather grotesque and terrifying, these once so familiar figures reveal the lies set in the mind of the consumer.

Camera: Xarlee / Editing: David de Larrea
Music: Rob Costlow – Contemporary Piano – Bliss

Dissolving Europe

Fully equipped with a set of 90 keys and his pallet of solvents, Vermibus recently set out to highjack the western world of advertisements in the name of fine art, in a 6 countries, 18 days and 100 interventions trip: “The system looks simple in movement: unlock and roll the advertising poster to create a huge blank gleaming white breath of fresh air in the urban environment. The advert then undertakes the process of counter action painting using a series of solvents and brushes, it is then replaced in another site, another city, another country”.

Project: Vermibus

Photography: Thomas von Wittich

Video: Xar Lee & Peter Grünheim

Music: “A Painter’s Journey”, Music Composer by Marcello De Francisci.

Score Recorded & produced at Blue Labyrinth Studios.

NO-AD Project

Based on artist Ted Dave’s “Buy Nothing Day” project (participants do not buy anything for 24 hours), NO-AD is an anti-consumerism project of Vermibus, aiming to “reduce the impact of advertisement citizens are exposed to, by removing the advertisement”. Vermibus removed more than 30 posters in the biggest consumer areas in Berlin during a ten-hour intervention, and the spaces remained “free of advertisement for several days due to the lack of stock of the advertiser Wall Decaux“.

Project: Vermibus

Photography: Thomas von Wittich & Just

Video: Xar Lee & Infinity 33

Music: Maya Filipic- Stories from Emona I

Unmasking Kate

Challenging the fashion industry, Vermibus chose to “unmask” fashion icon Kate Moss, thus revealing “our mass consumption society down to nothing but the harsh truth: a cruel reality for the most iconic and influential model of the last decade, as well as for our society”.