Gauntlet Gallery — Complete Vhils Print Index
Prevail
Work Summary & Collector Notes
Prevail (2018) is a laser-engraved fragment of a demolished building in Lisbon, carrying a Vhils piece across brick, plaster, concrete and paint. Issued in an edition of 20 with signed and numbered certificates and various dimensions, it is a genuine architectural relic reworked into a signed artwork.
Collector notes: The saved release record describes: Edition of /20. The saved release record describes: signed; numbered. Verify each feature against a documented example of this edition.
Why It Matters
Few editions embody Vhils' philosophy as directly as Prevail. Rather than depicting the city, it is the city, an actual piece of demolished Lisbon architecture bearing his engraved intervention. It collapses the distance between street practice and collectible object into a single found, altered fragment.
Collector Perspective
With only 20 examples and inherently varied dimensions, Prevail is a scarce and unrepeatable class of work. Each fragment differs in size and material makeup, so the certificate becomes essential to provenance. Collectors value it as a physical piece of the urban fabric Vhils works within.
Historical Context
Vhils' art is rooted in demolition, decay and the layered history of walls. Prevail (2018) takes this literally by salvaging material from a demolished Lisbon building, echoing the Portuguese urban transformation that has long informed Alexandre Farto's carving of the built environment.
Documented Release Details
- Object type
- Editioned sculpture / object
- Release date
- 2018
- Release-date note
- Catalog-listed release year from the saved secondary record; primary release-page confirmation remains pending.
- Medium and materials
- Sculpture | Laser Etching; Laser-engraved fragment of demolished building in Lisbon with Vhils piece (brick, plaster, concrete, and paint).
- Edition details
- The saved release record describes: Edition of /20.
- 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 2018 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
Is Prevail made from a real building?
Yes, each is a laser-engraved fragment of a demolished building in Lisbon, comprising brick, plaster, concrete and paint.
Why do dimensions vary?
Because each is a salvaged architectural fragment, sizes differ across the edition of 20.
How is it authenticated?
It is signed and numbered by the artist on an accompanying certificate.
