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Vhils – Go Forth: Street Art in Berlin

Joe Hatchiban (through a fence): Street Art by Vhils (Alexandre Farto) in Berlin for the Go Forth advertising campaign for Levi’sI decided last night that my post today would be a photo of this Vhils I spotted on Chausseestrasse last week.   When I googled ‘Vhils Chausseestrasse’, in an attempt to be more descriptive about the location, I came across this post about four Vhils murals in Berlin.

This by no means falls into the category of news, as the pieces were created in July 2011.  But hopefully for someone it’s new.

All were part of the Go Forth marketing campaign for Levi’s, created in conjunction with Wieden + Kennedy Amsterdam, who in their own words ‘came to Berlin looking to find the pioneers who are making the city into the new cultural centre of Europe.  Amongst hundreds, we collaborated with Vhils to immortalize four.’

I had already seen three of the four works when I read the post last night but wasn’t aware of the piece on Potsdamer Strasse.

So, here are the four.

A close-up of Chausseestrasse 36 – Joe Hatchiban who set up the Bearpit Karaoke at the Mauerpark.

Joe Hatchiban: Street Art by Vhils (Alexandre Farto) in Berlin for the Go Forth advertising campaign for Levi’s

Potsdamer Strasse 151 – Photographer Sven Marquardt, who also controls the door at legendary Berlin club, Berghain.

Sven Marquardt: Street Art by Vhils (Alexandre Farto) in Berlin for the Go Forth advertising campaign for Levi’s

Revaler Strasse 99 – Fadi Saad, a Neighbourhood Manager and Youth Worker, who draws on his past experiences in a gang to help the young people of Berlin.

I first took a photo of this on my phone before I started the blog and always meant to go back to get a better photo.  Writing this post gave me the push to do so.

Fadi Saad: Street Art by Vhils (Alexandre Farto) in Berlin for the Go Forth advertising campaign for Levi’s

An der Schillingsbrücke – One half of Artist Duo, Various & Gould.

I originally posted this photo as Vhils By The Spree.

Various & Gould: Street Art by Vhils (Alexandre Farto) in Berlin for the Go Forth advertising campaign for Levi’s

For anyone unfamiliar with his work, Vhils (real name Alexandre Farto) is a Portuguese Street Artist.  If you like what you see you might want to check out his website or the excellent book of his work published by Gestalten.

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3 Responses to Vhils – Go Forth: Street Art in Berlin

  1. James 28 March, 2012 at 15:52 #

    I love Vhils! In fact I have his name in a note on my phone, waiting for me to write something. Again, you beat us to it – good job!

    Not sure about the original campaign though. Pioneers, wirklich? Sven may be a Berlin icon, but he’s just a doorman who happens to take photographs. And Joe? “I do a karaoke show in Mauerpark…” – exactly.

    Anyway, I’ll try not to be a hater and just appreciate the art for its aesthetics!

    • andBerlin 28 March, 2012 at 17:35 #

      It’s good to know I’m not the only one with notes about posts in my phone. I’ll look forward to seeing your post.

      It’s definitely about the quality of the art for me. I don’t know if you’ve seen it already but there’s a video online about the campaign that shows him creating some of the work – he uses charges to blast some of the plaster and brick – very cool!

      I think I may have first seen his work at the Cans Festival in Leake Street and I remember going to the Scratching the Surface exhibition at the Lazarides Gallery in London (coincidentally just before my first trip to Berlin).

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    […] 10 curators. The exhibition includes work from internationally renowned artists like Blek Le Rat, Vhils, Isaac Cordal and ROA, as well as Berlin artists such as Dave the Chimp, Various & Gould and […]

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