Vhils

The first exhibition of this series was created in Hong Kong in 2016, after a year-long artist residency during which Vhils conducted research and explored his new visual and cultural surroundings. Wishing to further examine the same themes in various locations, the artist decided to have the exhibition travel to new cities that could be presented in comparison to Hong Kong.

For the second iteration of “Debris,” Vhils presented new works inspired by the inhabitants of Macau alongside works made for the first instalment. Parallel to works on display from the Hong Kong exhibition were new billboard pieces, made from posters gathered on the streets of Macau, alongside new door carvings on doors collected in the territory, and a new slow-motion captured video of Macau’s streets. Each work was presented as a fossil capturing a specific moment in time, a moment which the artist hopes will be viewed in the future as a consequential juncture in human history.

In addition to the indoor exhibition, as is customary in his practice, Vhils drew a more fundamental line to the city by creating works in the public sphere. In Macau, he created four public murals inspired by local residents: three of them featuring his signature bas-relief wall carving technique, and one painted by hand.