From 31 March, 2012 to 30 April, 2012 Opening 31 March, 2012 from 6pm to 9pm 18Gallery Shanghai - Bund18, 18 Zhongshan East Road (E1), 4F, Shanghai
Following a one month long action in the city of Shanghai, VHILS shows to the public his unusual work, chisels-carved walls, acid-engraved metal or laser-cut posters.
VHILS’s artwork is a revolution in the stencil technique in its use of unusual tools. Through the destruction of walls, he explores the layers of urban space and its history. Old papers, worn out posters, wood panels, brick walls are attacked with chisels, jackhammer, acid, or explosives, in order to sculpt his stencil on the wall. VHILS’s portraits underline an important contrast between new and ancient; he makes visible the inside face of these buildings. VHILS tries to give a new face to the city which is, for him, a ground of popular inspirations.
For this first exhibition in China, VHILS invests not only the gallery but also the city. He carves the walls of buildings. VHILS says "it is the ephemeral that captivates me, the transformations and developments in the city”. The exhibition emphasizes the uniqueness of his work and the technical transformations he makes use of.
