Gauntlet Gallery — Complete Vhils Print Index
Visual Agnosia 01
Summary
Visual Agnosia 01 (2021) is a two-colour screen print on plexiglass over reclaimed street advertising posters mounted on wood, sealed in epoxy varnish. In an edition of 33, each 100 by 70 cm work is signed and numbered, and each is materially distinct because the underlying salvaged posters differ. It is a layered object rather than a flat print.
Why It Matters
The piece foregrounds Vhils's archaeology of the city: layers of accumulated advertising become the substrate, and the screen-printed image on plexiglass sits above them like a lens. The title, referencing the neurological inability to recognise objects, reframes urban visual overload as a condition of perception. It is among his most conceptually explicit editions.
Collector Perspective
With only 33 examples and genuinely unique found-poster layers, this edition behaves more like a small run of individual works than a uniform print series. The plexiglass, epoxy and wood construction make condition and framing integral. Collectors should view specific examples where possible, since the reclaimed material beneath the plexiglass is what differentiates one number from the next.
Historical Context
The Visual Agnosia works extend Vhils's long engagement with the palimpsest of the street, the peeling billboards and layered posters he treats as a record of collective memory. Released in 2021 through his studio and gallery orbit, they translate his interest in accumulated urban surfaces into a wall-mounted, museum-scaled edition.
FAQ
Why is each one different?
The base layer uses advertising posters collected from the streets, and no two salvaged sheets are the same, so every numbered work varies.
What is the plexiglass for?
The two-colour image is screen printed on plexiglass, which sits over the poster layers and is sealed with epoxy varnish to create depth.
How large is the edition?
It is an edition of 33, each signed and numbered by the artist.
Is this a flat paper print?
No. It is a layered mixed-media object on wood, combining plexiglass, epoxy varnish and reclaimed posters.
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.