Alexandre Farto aka VHILS (Portugal)
Portuguese visual artist Alexandre Farto aka Vhils (1987) is one of the most exciting visual artists working both inside the Gallery and on the streets. With a unique visual language, the work seeks to establish symbolic reflections on identity; life in the urban context, the passage of time, and the relationship of interdependence between people and the surrounding environment.
For Splash and Burn Vhils focuses the relationship between humans and nature. Questioning the darker side of globalisation and how far we are willing to go in the name of comfort. The image is inspired by the Tapanuli Orangutan, a new species of great ape discovered last year and already under imminent threat of extinction through the development of a new dam in its habitat. To find out more about the Tapanuli visit The Sumatran Orangutan Society
“It comes down to activists and artists to raise awareness for the tensions that globalisation creates. That being said I personally think its like a new Pandoras box, its hard to stop. The only thing we can really do now is act on the dark side of globalisation, which is really the reason we are here doing Splash and Burn
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