Gauntlet Gallery — Complete Vhils Print Index
Ferroscope
Work Summary & Collector Notes
Ferroscope (2023) is a cement cast relief embedded with acid-rusted iron filings, measuring 70 x 50 cm and weighing 26 kg. Signed and numbered in an edition of 50 with 5 APs, it renders a Vhils portrait through raw industrial materials, the oxidised iron staining and colouring the cement surface as a byproduct of controlled corrosion.
Collector notes: Edition of 50 plus 5 artist's proofs according to the saved release record. The saved release record describes: signed; numbered. Verify each feature against a documented example of this edition.
Why It Matters
This is Vhils at his most literal about materiality: cement and rusting iron are the very substances of the built environment he carves into. By casting relief and letting acid rust the metal, he lets time and chemistry finish the artwork. It is a heavyweight, wall-referencing object that collapses the distinction between his subject matter and his medium.
Collector Perspective
At 26 kg and cast in cement, Ferroscope is a genuine sculpture requiring robust mounting and load-bearing walls or a plinth. The edition of 50 plus 5 APs is modest, and the industrial process guarantees surface variation between casts. Collectors should treat it as an object: monitor for hairline cracks and note that active rust chemistry may continue to evolve subtly.
Historical Context
Vhils's reputation rests on excavating imagery from concrete facades, so a cement relief edition is a natural studio translation of that street practice. Rust and oxidation have long served artists as agents of chance and entropy. In the 2020s, Vhils increasingly produced weighty relief multiples that let collectors own a fragment of his monumental wall aesthetic.
Documented Release Details
- Object type
- Editioned sculpture / object
- Release date
- 2023
- Release-date note
- Catalog-listed release year from the saved secondary record; primary release-page confirmation remains pending.
- Medium and materials
- Sculpture; catalog dimensions 70 x 50 cm.
- Edition details
- Edition of 50 plus 5 artist's proofs according to the saved release record.
- Signature and marks
- The saved release record describes: signed; numbered. Verify each feature against a documented example of this edition.
Documented History and Meaning
History note: This page treats Vhils's broader career as background context, not proof that this specific edition belongs to any single exhibition or event. Release-level facts here come from a saved secondary catalog record.
Meaning / interpretation: No per-work artist statement is recorded for this edition. Any thematic reading should be treated as interpretation of the imagery, not a documented statement of the artist's intent. This interpretive note follows the cited artist or publisher context.
Release context: The saved catalog lists 2023 and attributes the edition to Underdogs.
Authentication, Presentation and Provenance
- Original presentation
- Original packaging or presentation was not documented in the release sources reviewed.
- Authentication note
- Compare the support, dimensions, edition number, and signature against a documented example of this edition. Gauntlet Gallery does not authenticate works purchased from third parties.
- Provenance note
- Edition origin is attributed in the saved record to Underdogs. That does not establish the ownership history of an individual copy: retain the original invoice, reseller or gallery paperwork, labels, correspondence, and condition photographs.
Sources and Verification
Verification status: Secondary catalog snapshot; artist-level context added
- Saved release record — Art Collectorz · secondary catalog snapshot · Accessed 2026-07-13 · Starting record for title, year, edition, dimensions, medium, and release description. Primary confirmation against the original release page remains pending.
- Vhils — official site — Vhils studio · primary artist source · Accessed 2026-07-13 · Official artist site; career context, not an individual-edition record.
- Vhils — Wikipedia · reference encyclopedia · Accessed 2026-07-13 · General artist-level biographical and career reference.
- Vhils (Q115823) — Wikidata · reference knowledge base · Accessed 2026-07-13 · Structured identifier used for the artist across catalog metadata.
FAQ
How heavy is Ferroscope?
Each piece weighs approximately 26 kg and is cast in cement at 70 x 50 cm.
What is the edition size?
Edition of 50, plus 5 artist's proofs, signed and numbered.
What creates the colouring on the surface?
Acid-rusted iron filings embedded in the cement oxidise to stain and tint the relief.
Is it a print or a sculpture?
It is a sculptural cement relief object, not a print, which places it among his heavier editioned works.
