Vermin Angels

(Didactic Panel by Lillian Colgan)
Presented at the Bearded Tit for Knowing Me in the Quiet, curated by Lillian Colgan

Vermin Angels 1 and 2  by Rainer Ciar are a group of sculptural works reflecting on the grubby aspects of domestic life. Rainer’s work depicts hybrid anime characters that resemble household pests. Skittering lightly across the ground, eating discarded hair and food, these creatures are imagined both sustaining the home and personifying its decay. Their sexualised bodies and bug-like adornments play with a sense of attraction and repulsion, highlighting the objectification of femme anime figures and the social values that shape desire.


Rainer’s works also question the late-capitalist need for perpetual growth, perfection and unrelenting self-improvement through their playful and cheeky nature. They reveal the everyday fatigue and apathy facing many people and offer a gentle salve to a harsh systemic reality.





23–01–2024