Casualty Mosaic

cadet capela is pleased to present Casualty Mosaic, the first solo exhibition by Tabor Robak in France. This exhibition offers an immersive dive into our cultural habits and capitalist society, where consumption profoundly shapes individual will and desire.

Robak explores how we are molded by market values, from childhood to death, and the emotional and psychological impact these values have on our existence. Through this exploration, he questions the role of brands, screen addiction, and consumption as a need for belonging, while revealing how capitalism rapidly absorbs and transforms signs of rebellion.

Tabor Robak examines the cultures associated with masculine stereotypes, fueled with an aesthetic of danger (such as punk, skateboarding, or car racing). These worlds encourage risk-taking and a strong, singular visual identity, where individuals adopt an aesthetic style while accepting the risks attached to it.

The artist shows how capitalism recovers all kinds of trends, even those that oppose it. Rebellion becomes a product, diluted in mass consumerism, rendering any true protest futile. Criticism is absorbed by the consumerist society. Here, the electronic sculptures are not just objects but metaphors for the artist’s life and the stages of consumerist culture. Robak, known for his digital work, returns to physical pieces, combining new technologies with meticulous artisanal techniques.

The coffin, Dummy Plug, represents mortality while symbolizing the commercialization of death by capitalist society. Equipped with video games, it reflects the artist’s technological addiction, offering more hours of entertainment than a lifetime—or death—would allow for complete viewing. The work examines consumerism and the passing of time. The car, Alienator, reflects, through a hypercharged childhood imagination, the incessant quest for performance and speed in a world where excess is celebrated. The Big Bang Mirror explores self-image and the fleeting nature of consumerism through firework imagery and visual onomatopoeias. With its bomb-like wiring, the mirror invites viewers to place themselves at the heart of consumerism’s violence and immerse themselves in this chaotic display. Finally, Beginner’s Luck questions the boundary between genuinely participating in and engaging with countercultural and rebellious movements and merely consuming them, as these movements have largely been co-opted and normalized.

These sculptures, far from being mere objects, are testimonies to Robak’s creative process, combining modern technologies (3D printing, laser cutting, programming) with rigorous artisanal craftsmanship. The choice to work with physical materials underscores the idea of full commitment to the creative act, reflecting an approach that, like the lifestyles of alternative cultures, cannot exist without risk.

Casualty Mosaic explores how consumer culture shapes our personalities, our relationships with objects, and our anthropological culture. Robak unveils an intimate mapping of our era, where consumption, far from being a simple transaction, becomes an act of self-expression, for better or for worse.

Tabor Robak (born in 1986, lives and works in Paris, FR) recently had a solo exhibition at the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, AUS. Over the past 10 years, his work has been exhibited at various institutions including the Museum of Modern Art, New York, USA, MoMA PS1, New York, USA, Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, USA, Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, USA, New Museum, New York, USA, Kunsthal Rotterdam, NL, Yuz Museum, Shanghai, CN, Serpentine Galleries, London, UK, Migros Museum, Zurich, CH, and the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo, JP. His works are part of public collections such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA, Museum of Modern Art, New York, USA, Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, USA, Serpentine Galleries, London, UK, Fondazione Sandretto Re Rebaudengo, Turin, IT, Migros Museum, Zurich, CH, and the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, AUS, among others.