Tara Downs

Darja Bajagić

Biography

Darja Bajagić (b.1990 in Podgorica, MNE) lives and works in Chicago, US and Bogišći, Montenegro. She received her MFA from Yale University in 2014, and her BFA from Pacific Northwest College of Art in 2012. Selected solo and two-person exhibitions include: "It Takes an Island to Feel This Good", Venice biennale, Venice, IT (2024); “Forest Passage,” Tara Downs, New York, US (2022); “Crucio,” November Gallery, Belgrade, RS (2022); “Goregeous,” Le Confort Moderne, Poitiers, FR (2020); “Transfiguration,” New Galerie, Paris, FR; “Born Losers,” Hessel Museum of Art, Annandale-On-Hudson, US (2018); “Unlimited Hate,” Künstlerhaus, Halle für Kunst & Medien (KM–), Graz, AU (2016). Selected group exhibitions include: “Very Friendly,” HOUSE, Berlin, DE (2023); “HARDCORE,” Sadie Cole's HQ, London, UK (2023); “Highlights,” Galerija Novembar, Belgrade, RS (2022); “Legally Blonde,” Tara Downs, New York, US (2022); “Post-Digital Intimacy,” National Gallery Prague, CZ (2021); Futura Centre for Contemporary Art, Prague, CZ (2019); Es Baluard Museu d’Art Modern i Contemporani de Palma, ES (2018); Contemporary Art Centre (CAC), Vilnius, LT (2018); LUMA Westbau, Zürich, CH (2017, 2015, 2014); Musée d’Art moderne de la Ville de Paris, FR (2015); Moderna Museet, Stockholm, SE (2015); Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw, PO (2014); Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Oaxaca, MX (2014); Museum of Applied Arts (MAK), Vienna, AU (2013).

Exhibition view of It Takes an Island to Feel This Good, Venice biennale, Venice, 2024. Photo: Nico Covre.

Darja Bajagić, Piece of Mamula Camp, 2024. Acrylic and UV print on canvas, steel frame, 96 3/4 × 107 3/4 × 1 1/2 in / 246 × 274 × 4 cm

Darja Bajagić, Threshold (Gigantomachy Concerning a Void), 2024. Acrylic, canvas, concrete pigment powder, dirt, enamel paint, UV print, steel frame, 107 3/4 × 54 × 1 1/2 in / 274 × 137 × 4 cm

Darja Bajagić, Gateway to the Gulf, 2024. Acrylic and UV print on canvas, steel frame, 77 1/2 × 50 3/4 × 1 1/2 in / 197 × 129 × 4 cm

Exhibition view of It Takes an Island to Feel This Good, Venice biennale, Venice, 2024. Photo: Nico Covre.

Darja Bajagić, The Murder of the Sign, 2024. Acrylic, canvas, defective military camouflage print fabric, dirt, UV print, steel frame, 79 1/2 × 91 × 2 1/4 in / 202 × 231 × 6 cm

Exhibition view of It Takes an Island to Feel This Good, Venice biennale, Venice, 2024. Photo: Nico Covre.

Darja Bajagić, The Ambivalence of the Sacred, 2024. Acrylic on military camouflage print fabric, steel frame, 67 3/4 × 50 1/2 × 1 1/2 in / 172 × 128 × 4 cm

Darja Bajagić, The Ambivalence of the Sacred, 2024(detail). Acrylic on military camouflage print fabric, steel frame, 67 3/4 × 50 1/2 × 1 1/2 in / 172 × 128 × 4 cm

Exhibition view of Very Friendly, HOUSE, Berlin, 2023, curated by Agnes Gryczkowska. Photo: Noshe.

Exhibition view of Forest Passage. Tara Downs, New York, 2022.

Darja Bajagić, We are both among the first rain drops which indicate that there is a massive purifying storm approaching, 2018. Acrylic and UV print on canvas, 65 × 91 in / 165,1 × 231,14 cm

Exhibition view of Forest Passage. Tara Downs, New York, 2022.

Darja Bajagić, The Awakening (Saint Nino’s Cross Inverted), 2022. Acrylic and UV print on canvas, steel frame, 57 × 45 1/4 × 2 1/4 in / 145 × 115 × 6 cm

Darja Bajagić, A Lion Among Sheep: Stein, Strick, Gras, Grün, 2022. Acrylic, embalmer’s thread, oil, and UV print on canvas; steel frame, 70 1/4 × 44 1/8 × 1 1/8 in / 178,4 × 112,1 × 2,9 cm

Exhibition view of: Hardcore. Sadie Coles HQ, London, 2023.

Exhibition view of Legally Blonde. Tara Downs, New York, 2022.

Darja Bajagić, A Lion Among Sheep: Stein, Strick, Gras, Grün, 2022 (detail). Acrylic, embalmer’s thread, oil, and UV print on canvas; steel frame, 70 1/4 × 44 1/8 × 1 1/8 in / 178,4 × 112,1 × 2,9 cm

Exhibition view of Darja Bajagić: Hardcore. Sadie Coles HQ, London, 2023.

Darja Bajagić, Nadryv, 2018. Acrylic and UV print on canvas, 105 × 65 in / 266,7 × 165 cm

Darja Bajagić, Baptism by Blood (Mother & Child), 2022. Acrylic, embalmer’s thread, and UV print on burlap; steel frame, 65 1/2 × 42 3/4 × 1 1/8 in / 166,4 × 108,6 × 2,9 cm

Darja Bajagić, Baptism by Blood (Mother & Child), 2022 (detail). Acrylic, embalmer’s thread, and UV print on burlap; steel frame, 65 1/2 × 42 3/4 × 1 1/8 in / 166,4 × 108,6 × 2,9 cm

Darja Bajagić, Ex Axes: Special Edition - Sick Fuck, 2022. Direct-to-substrate print on steel axe, 13 × 5 × 1 in / 33 × 12,7 × 2,54 cm

Darja Bajagić, Ex Axes: Special Edition - Sick Fuck, 2022 (detail). Direct-to-substrate print on steel axe, 13 × 5 × 1 in / 33 × 12,7 × 2,54 cm

Darja Bajagić, Live Rarities, 2020. Acrylic, burlap, embalmer's thread, gauze, and UV print on canvas, 50 3/4 × 5 0 in / 128,91 × 127 cm

Darja Bajagić, Untitled, 2021. Acrylic, burlap, embalmer’s thread, and UV print on canvas; steel frame, 49 × 43 × 2 in / 124,46 × 109,22 × 5,08 cm

Darja Bajagić, Live Rarities, 2020 (detail). Acrylic, burlap, embalmer's thread, gauze, and UV print on canvas, 50 3/4 × 5 0 in / 128,91 × 127 cm

Exhibition view of The American Friend. Tara Downs, New York, 2022.

Darja Bajagić, Pyramidal Tau (Mater), 2021. Acrylic, embalmer’s thread, and UV print on canvas; steel frame, 49 × 30 × 2 in / 111,76 × 76,2 × 5,08 cm

Exhibition view of GOREGEOUS. Le Confort Moderne, Poitiers, France, 2020.

Darja Bajagić, To Each His Own [Is Beautiful] (Ornament) (“blindfolded youth”), 2019. Acrylic and UV print on canvas, 64 × 96 1/2 in / 163 × 145 cm

Darja Bajagić, Horned Cross + Kruszwica, 2019. Acrylic and UV print on canvas, 60 × 60 in / 153 × 153 cm

Darja Bajagić, Divija (“the exhumation and reburial”), 2019. Acrylic and UV print on canvas, 89 1/2 × 81 1/2 in / 228 × 207 cm

Darja Bajagić, Makoš, 2019. Acrylic, graphite, and inkjet print on canvas, mounting board, and paper, 32 1/2 × 17 1/8 in / 83 × 44 cm

Darja Bajagić, Summer Dažbog, 2019. Acrylic, graphite, and inkjet print on canvas, mounting board, and paper, 33 1/2 × 14 1/2 in / 85 × 37 cm

Darja Bajagić, The Missing Crux (Greek Cross + Kruszwica), 2018. Acrylic, embalmer's thread, UV print on canvas, 54 × 54 in / 138 × 143 cm

Exhibition view of Born Losers. Hessel Museum of Art, Annandale-On-Hudson, NY, 2018.

Exhibition view of Darja Bajagić & Boyd Rice. Greenspon, New York, 2018.

Darja Bajagić, Screenshot at 13:49/15:02 of the NSU’s “Pink Panther” confession video, 2018. Acrylic and UV print on canvas, 64 × 92 in / 162,5 × 233,6 cm

Darja Bajagić, Screenshot at 13:49/15:02 of the NSU’s “Pink Panther” confession video, 2018 (detail). Acrylic and UV print on canvas, 64 × 92 in / 162,5 × 233,6 cm

Darja Bajagić, German Madeleine McCann, 2018. Acrylic and UV print on canvas, 65 1/2 × 75 1/2 in / 166,3 × 191,7 cm

Exhibition view of 89Plus: Americans. LUMA Westbau, Zurich, 2017.

Darja Bajagić, Sheʼs more obsessed than Dahmer, sheʼs more calculated than Bundy, and certainly more faceless than Bateman., 2017. UV print on Plexiglas, 86 1/2 × 42 1/4 in / 220 × 107 cm

Exhibition view of Nobody Knows I'm Funny. Carlos/Ishikawa, London, 2016.

Darja Bajagić, Kali Michaels, 2016. Acrylic-latex paint and UV print on canvas, hand-painted wooden frame, UV print on Plexiglas, 67 3/4 × 65 1/4 × 1 3/4 in / 172 × 166 × 4.5 cm (head), 37 × 46 1/2 × 1/4 in / 94 × 118 × 0,5 cm (puddle)

Darja Bajagić, Kali Michaels, 2016 (detail). Acrylic-latex paint and UV print on canvas, hand-painted wooden frame, UV print on Plexiglas, 67 3/4 × 65 1/4 × 1 3/4 in / 172 × 166 × 4.5 cm (head), 37 × 46 1/2 × 1/4 in / 94 × 118 × 0,5 cm (puddle)

Darja Bajagić, Molly 4 (Dagger), 2016. UV printed aluminum brushed Dibond with motion activated liquid mechanism and shaped MDF frame container, 33 3/4 × 22 × 2 3/4 in / 86 × 56 × 7 cm

Darja Bajagić, Molly 4 (Dagger), 2016 (detail). UV printed aluminum brushed Dibond with motion activated liquid mechanism and shaped MDF frame container, 33 3/4 × 22 × 2 3/4 in / 86 × 56 × 7 cm

Darja Bajagić, Molly 5 (Woods), 2016. UV-printed aluminum-brushed Dibond with motion-activated liquid mechanism and shaped frame-container, acrylic paint, canvas, 39 1/4 × 31 × 2 3/4 in / 100 × 79 × 7 cm

Darja Bajagić, Molly 2 (Cloak and
Dagger), 2016. UV-printed aluminum-brushed
Dibond with motion-activated liquid mechanism and shaped
frame-container, acrylic paint, canvas, 40 1/2 × 39 1/2 × 2 3/4 in / 103 × 100, 5 × 7 cm

Darja Bajagić, undeRage headless goatriders, 2016. Acrylic paint, canvas, UV printed canvas, 71 1/4 × 78 in / 181 × 198 cm

Darja Bajagić, undeRage headless goatriders, 2016 (detail). Acrylic paint, canvas, UV printed canvas, 71 1/4 × 78 in / 181 × 198 cm

Darja Bajagić, Evil, 2014. UV print on aluminum, 50 × 35 × 1/4 in / 127 × 88,9 × 0,6 cm

Darja Bajagić, You Should Hear The Names The Voices In My Head Are Calling You, 2014. Mixed media on canvas, 66 1/2 × 64 1/2 in / 168,9 × 163,8 cm

Darja Bajagić, Come To The Dark Side We Have Cookies!!!, 2014. Mixed media on canvas, 53 × 76 1/4 in / 134,6 × 193,7 cm

Darja Bajagić, Come To The Dark Side We Have Cookies!!!, 2014 (detail). Mixed media on canvas, 53 × 76 1/4 in / 134,6 × 193,7 cm

Biography

Darja Bajagić (b.1990 in Podgorica, MNE) lives and works in Chicago, US and Bogišći, Montenegro. She received her MFA from Yale University in 2014, and her BFA from Pacific Northwest College of Art in 2012. Selected solo and two-person exhibitions include: "It Takes an Island to Feel This Good", Venice biennale, Venice, IT (2024); “Forest Passage,” Tara Downs, New York, US (2022); “Crucio,” November Gallery, Belgrade, RS (2022); “Goregeous,” Le Confort Moderne, Poitiers, FR (2020); “Transfiguration,” New Galerie, Paris, FR; “Born Losers,” Hessel Museum of Art, Annandale-On-Hudson, US (2018); “Unlimited Hate,” Künstlerhaus, Halle für Kunst & Medien (KM–), Graz, AU (2016). Selected group exhibitions include: “Very Friendly,” HOUSE, Berlin, DE (2023); “HARDCORE,” Sadie Cole's HQ, London, UK (2023); “Highlights,” Galerija Novembar, Belgrade, RS (2022); “Legally Blonde,” Tara Downs, New York, US (2022); “Post-Digital Intimacy,” National Gallery Prague, CZ (2021); Futura Centre for Contemporary Art, Prague, CZ (2019); Es Baluard Museu d’Art Modern i Contemporani de Palma, ES (2018); Contemporary Art Centre (CAC), Vilnius, LT (2018); LUMA Westbau, Zürich, CH (2017, 2015, 2014); Musée d’Art moderne de la Ville de Paris, FR (2015); Moderna Museet, Stockholm, SE (2015); Museum of Modern Art in Warsaw, PO (2014); Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Oaxaca, MX (2014); Museum of Applied Arts (MAK), Vienna, AU (2013).