Trauma Bar und Kino is pleased to present Vermillion, a solo exhibition by the Croatian-born multimedia-artist Tea Stražičić (b. 1990).

The exhibition shows for the first time large-format drawings and paintings by the artist, who has mainly worked in the fields of video art and animation until now. The individual works reinterpret the story Vermillion, which Stražičić co-authored with Nicholas Zhu, as an oversized graphic novel in exhibition format. In the story, the “horsemen of the apocalypse,” a chaotic group of friends on their way to a doomsday party, set out on a journey to deliver “Behemot” to an “Anti-Diluvian Club.”

The characters are striking skeletal creatures who behave like vampires, while their appearances change as they travel through a surreal landscape of apps, add-ons, and architecture. Over the course of their journey, they gradually lose their sense of self as well as their need for self-determination and individuality. They come to understand individuality as a trap that humans have created for themselves, one that prevents real communication.

Stražičić thus touches on broader themes such as individuality and individual self-determination. In addition to large-format drawings, paintings, and objects, the exhibition is also supplemented by an animated film from Anna Sagadin. Furthermore, the narrative of Vermillion is also presented in a calligraphic book-object, made by Jean-Baptiste Normand specifically for the exhibition.  

Curated by Madalina Stanescu.