Artist Vermibus Vandalizes Billboards in his Dissolving Europe Series
M — May 22, 2014 — Art & Design
References: vermibus.tumblr & beautifuldecay
Dissident graffiti artist Vermibus is taking Europe by storm in his billboard hacking series dubbed 'Dissolving Europe.' In the art series, Vermibus travels around Europe and subversively turns models featured in massive billboard adds into eerie dying corpses.
Vermibus cleverly gained access to cities and billboards around Europe with a hacked train ticket and a set of universal keys that conveniently unlock any billboard anywhere in Europe. From there, Vermibus sneakily updates the ads in bus stops, on billboard signs and posters on the street by turning the models' faces and bodies into corpses. His drawings are eerie, spooky and abstract with heavily dark undertones. Vermibus' mission is to show that companies trap faces inside of commercial billboard spaces to take away the identities of consumers by turning them into brand products.
Vermibus cleverly gained access to cities and billboards around Europe with a hacked train ticket and a set of universal keys that conveniently unlock any billboard anywhere in Europe. From there, Vermibus sneakily updates the ads in bus stops, on billboard signs and posters on the street by turning the models' faces and bodies into corpses. His drawings are eerie, spooky and abstract with heavily dark undertones. Vermibus' mission is to show that companies trap faces inside of commercial billboard spaces to take away the identities of consumers by turning them into brand products.
Trend Themes
1. Subversive Art Hacking - There is an opportunity for artists and marketers to collaborate on creating disruptive ad campaigns that challenge traditional advertising and promote creativity.
2. Identity-based Advertising - Advertising campaigns that focus on identity and personalization rather than corporate branding could disrupt the advertising industry.
3. Consumer Empowerment - Marketing initiatives that give consumers a voice in advertising campaigns could disrupt traditional branding and messaging.
Industry Implications
1. Advertising - Vermibus' Dissolving Europe series highlights the need for brands to think more critically about how they use advertising space.
2. Art - The rise of subversive art such as Vermibus' billboard hacking series could disrupt traditional notions of aesthetics and what is considered 'acceptable' art.
3. Marketing - Vermibus' work raises questions about the ethics and effectiveness of traditional marketing methods, presenting an opportunity for marketers to innovate and explore new strategies.
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