Gauntlet Gallery — Complete Vhils Print Index
Dissipate (Timed Edition)
Summary
Dissipate is a 2024 Vhils giclée print measuring 69.7 by 44.9 centimetres, showing the face of an anonymous woman set against an unnamed city backdrop through an acid-like haze. Released as a timed edition, it was signed and numbered by the artist during its release window.
Why It Matters
The deliberately unidentified subject and unnamed city underscore Vhils's theme of the universal, anonymous urban individual. The dissolving, hazy treatment visualises erasure and impermanence, the same forces at work when he carves and strips city walls.
Collector Perspective
As a timed edition, the final run reflects demand during the release period rather than a fixed cap, generally making it an accessible giclée. The portrait subject and atmospheric treatment give it clear thematic coherence with Vhils's core body of work.
Historical Context
Made in 2024, Dissipate embodies Vhils's interest in anonymity and dissolution. By withholding both the sitter's and the city's identity, he elevates a single face into a stand-in for the countless unnamed inhabitants of the modern metropolis.
FAQ
Who is depicted in Dissipate?
An anonymous woman, deliberately unidentified, set against an unnamed city, emphasizing universality.
Is this a fixed edition?
No, it is a timed edition, with the run size determined during the release window.
What are the dimensions?
69.7 by 44.9 centimetres.
What is the visual effect?
An acid-like haze that makes the portrait appear to dissolve, evoking erasure and impermanence.
About the Artist
Vhils is the working name of Alexandre Farto, a Portuguese visual artist born in 1987 near Lisbon. He is internationally recognized for a pioneering "carving" technique in which he excavates portraits from layered walls, billboards, and surfaces using chisels, drills, and controlled explosives, effectively creating images by removing material rather than adding it. His large-scale murals appear in cities across the globe, and his studio editions translate this bas-relief, destructive-creation aesthetic into prints, laser-cut works, and mixed-media pieces. Vhils has exhibited widely and collaborated on major public and institutional projects.
Collecting Vhils at Gauntlet Gallery
What Vhils works can I collect?
Beyond his walls, Vhils produces signed, numbered studio editions including screenprints, hand-carved paper, laser-cut metal, and mixed-media relief works. Editions that preserve his signature carving texture are especially sought after. Gauntlet Gallery favors pieces in excellent condition with intact surfaces and complete documentation.
How is a Vhils piece authenticated?
We sell Vhils works with documented studio provenance, supported by the edition's signature and numbering. Each piece is photographed exactly as it will ship, including signature, edition number, and any embossing or studio marks, so details are verifiable up front.
What drives value?
Medium and technique (unique carved and relief works over flat prints), edition size, scale, condition, and documented provenance all shape price. Hand-worked, textural, and one-of-a-kind pieces carry the highest premiums.