Streetart festival
Tou Scene, Stavanger, Norway
1.10.-1.11.11
Vhils seems to be in a skull mode at the moment. A skull has had different meanings through time. From the "Memento Mori" paintings filled with symbolics about the fragility of life, through times where death is a taboo topic, to the present popularisation of skulls. A skull is not that provoking anymore when you find it on fashion clothing, childrens' clothing and in commercials.
Vhils' skull work is located next to an important drive-through road in East Stavanger. This may be an interesting experiment on how provoking the skull is in the present. Earlier years promotions of underwear has been removed because it disturbed the drivers, will this artwork be ignored or provoke accidents?
At the site was until recently an old canning factory building, once the dominating industry of Stavanger. This was demolished and replaced by a parking lot, despite a lot of protests by the inhabitants. This is one of many historical buildings that has disappeared as Stavanger grow richer and the property owners want to maximize the value. Is this a process where the flesh of Stavanger is removed, leaving only a hollow skull?
work in progress
More pictures from the exhibition and outdoor work here
Link to Nuart's new webpage
