Detritos #02 is a 2011 work by Vhils, presented in his solo exhibition “Detritos” at Galeria Presença, Porto (12 March – 23 April 2011): a portrait of a single human eye rendered in soot and scattered debris on a pale concrete surface. The image was formed by the residue and scorch marks of a controlled micro-detonation rather than added pigment — charges set into the prepared surface, the blast itself carving the image, captured on DVD/PAL video, colour, no sound, running time 0'41''. Detritos marked the origin of Vhils's explosive technique.
The artist's first successful explosion piece, executed in 2010, was minted as the 1/1 'Debris #1' on SuperRare (September 2021) — in his own token description: 'This is the first successful explosion piece I created. Executed in 2010, after months of extensive trials with small charges, I was finally able to produce a meaningful work through the use of explosives.'