Organized By HOCA Foundation
國際金融中心對開的海旁,Central District (22.287666, 114.158465)
“DEBRIS” THE FIRST SOLO EXHIBITION OF VHILS IN HONG KONG A multi-site public intervention reflecting on the nature of urban societies Rooftop Central Ferry Pier 4, Central March 22 – April 4 | Open every day from 12PM-8PM Opening Reception on Pier 4 March 21 from 7-9PM Operating TRAM Intervention starting March 12 | Running daily “DEBRIS”, the first solo exhibition of celebrated Portuguese artist Alexandre Farto AKA Vhils in Hong Kong is a multi-site initiative that will include an intervention on one of the city’s iconic trams (in circulation from 12 March 2016) and an exhibition at Pier 4 (open between 22 March– 4 April 2016), encouraging visitors to explore the city and reflect on the nature of the urban environment through the lens of the artist. Over the past decade, Vhils has been developing a unique visual reflection on present-day urban societies across the globe and the people who form them. Renowned for his groundbreaking carving technique, which employs the built environment as his canvas, Vhils’ approach has been hailed as one of the most compelling to have emerged from the contemporary urban art scene. Following multiple interventions across Hong Kong, “Debris” will be one of the most encompassing and holistic presentations of Vhils’ artistic production. Central to the artist’s oeuvre, and a thematic basis for the upcoming exhibition, is an expression of the quotidian tension that lies between the individual and the demanding environment of urbanity. For “Debris”, HOCA has selected iconic sites across Hong Kong – a moving tram and the ferry pier – to display works and installations that reflect the breadth of the local cultural landscape. Utilizing a variety of techniques such as drilling, billboard collages, neon light boxes, and sculpture to present an immersive experience, Vhils will deconstruct the images and tropes that have become symbols of the city itself. This re-arrangement of components represents the multiplicity of stimuli people are subjected to in the urban space and is part of a broader reflection on identity in contemporary urban societies. Inspired by the time he has spent as an artist-in-residence in the city, the new works are composed of portraits, juxtapositions and imbrications of graphic and geometric elements, metropolitan patterns and motifs that form a reflection on how individuals are both shaped and help shape the seemingly overwhelming urban environment they live in. In partnership with Hong Kong Tramways, Vhils will transform this traditional mode of transport into a moving art object by carving into layers of posters applied onto the façade of the carrier. Intended to draw attention to an icon of the local cityscape, the tram will be a moving tribute to the personal histories of the city’s inhabitants. The exhibition will be held at Pier 4, where Vhils will present artworks in new mediums for the first time. Central to the new series is the exploration of his practice of destructive creation in an environment characterised by the plurality of media. An avid experimentalist, the artist has been developing compositions made of neon and metal, enabling him to expand the boundaries of visual expression. A highlight, installed across an elongated exhibition space, is a video of the streets of the city. In this enveloping experience, the audience will find themselves moving against the decelerated flow of the crowded city sidewalks, prompting a reflection on the role of the individual within the masses. The landmark exhibition, created as a response to life in Hong Kong, represents HOCA’s commitment to promoting public awareness and developing access to contemporary art in the city. With a vision and curatorial strategy that draws inspiration from popular culture, the non-profit organization seeks to enhance access to art, in all its multitude of forms, in the city. About Vhils Portuguese artist Alexandre Farto aka Vhils (b. 1987) has developed a unique visual language based on the removal of the surface layers of walls and other media with non-conventional tools and techniques, establishing symbolic reflections on identity, life in the urban context, the passage of time, and the relationship of interdependence between people and the surrounding environment. His groundbreaking carving technique has been met with critical acclaim. Since 2005 he has been presenting his work around the world in solo and collective exhibitions, art events, institutions, and site-specific interventions. He has also taken part in some of the most prestigious contemporary and urban art projects. He is represented in several public and private collections in various countries. Vhils currently lives and works in both Hong Kong and Lisbon. 香港當代藝術基金會榮幸呈獻 VHILS在香港首個個展《DEBRIS》 一次反映都市社會本質的多站點公共藝術創作 操作TRAM干預起3月12日|日常運行 碼頭4個展三月開放22 - 4月4日|每日12 PM-8PM |從7-9PM開幕酒會於碼頭21年3月4日 香港－ 香港當代藝術基金會（HOCA）隆重呈獻著名葡萄牙藝術家Alexandre Farto, 即Vhils在香港的首個個展《Debris》。本次多站點項目將包括在一輛從2016年3月12日起穿梭鬧市、城市地標之一的電車上創作，及3月22日至4 月 4 日期間在4號碼頭舉行的展覽，希望通過藝術家的視角，鼓勵觀者探索城市，並思考都市生活環境的本質。 過去十年Vhils創立了獨樹一幟的視覺風格，探討全球都市人類及其所構成的當代社會現狀。Vhils以獨創的刻鑿技術為人熟知，並將建築環境本身作為他的畫布，Vhils的這一創作手法在當代藝術界引起了廣泛的關注。 《Debris》將結合Vhils在香港多處的在地創作，作為藝術家最全面的展覽之一。 本次展覽秉承了藝術家一向的創作宗旨，對個人和日益發展的都市環境之間的張力加以詮釋。HOCA挑選了香港最具地標性的場所 － 電車和碼頭－展示一系列散發本地都市氣息的作品。Vhils通過穿鑿、廣告牌拼貼、霓虹燈箱和雕塑等創作手法提供體驗式觀賞， 把一些城市中滿目皆是的媒介拆解重塑，讓都市人重新檢視自己身處的環境。。本次展覽靈感源自藝術家此前在香港的駐留體驗，藝術家把不同的圖像和都市重新編排，爲都市文化中各種各樣的消費主義下註腳。 Vhils與香港電車合作，把這一傳統交通工具轉變為移動的藝術作品，並在車身貼滿的層層海報上雕刻出令人驚嘆的創作。作為本地城市生活的一個標誌，這輛電車也將是對城市居民和個人記憶的一次致敬。 在4號碼頭舉行的展覽將首次帶來Vhils用全新材料創作的作品。新系列拆解及重塑城市中常見的多重媒介，賦予其新的定義 。敢於實驗的Vhils一直運用霓虹和金屬製品 ,以不斷打破視覺表達的界線。展覽亮點之一是長形展示空間中的一件播放著城市馬路的影像作品。置身空間之內，觀眾將體驗到自己的逆向而行，並引起對群體中個人作用的反思。 是次的標誌性展覽，是對香港本地生活的回應，同時代表HOCA致力提高公眾對當代藝術的關注，以及為大眾建立更多接觸當代藝術的機會。非牟利機構HOCA以大眾文化為依歸，發展出獨特的視覺策展方向及全面的社區參與計劃，期望提升市民對藝術的關注及鑑賞力。 有關Vhils 葡萄牙藝術家Alexandre Farto (1987)，即Vhils，運用特殊工具和非比尋常的技巧，將牆面和不同材質表面的外層部分移除，以極具象徵性的作品反思個性、都市生活方式、時光的流逝及人類與環境相互依存的關係，並創立了獨特的視覺語言。他的刻鑿技藝獨具匠心，廣受好評。自2005年起，他便通過個展、群展、藝術活動、機構和各類項目向世界展示自己的作品。他曾參加世界知名的當代都市藝術項目。他的作品被許多國家的公共和私人收藏。Vhils目前生活和工作與香港和里斯本。