Dec 8

Dec 8 "You Can Only Kill Us Once" by The Opioid Crisis Lookbook

At Trauma, You Can Only Kill Us Once offers an unrelenting examination of the opioid epidemic through art and performance. The Opioid Crisis Lookbook (OCL), founded by Dustin Cauchi in 2019, shifts from a publication to an immersive artistic force. Curated with Dasha Zaharova and Samuel Staples, the exhibition includes contributions by Cauchi, Zaharova, and Liam Denhamer, alongside evocative scenography by Juvenilia.

Visitors are immersed in an environment where past, present, and future collapse into a sensory overload of imagery, sound, and performance. The exhibition juxtaposes archival materials with new works, creating a layered narrative: a crooner singing in Cobain’s infamous poppy field; a towering tarp structure evoking the makeshift shelters of LA’s homeless encampments; and manic, fragmented imagery that mirrors the epidemic’s chaos.

The exhibition plunges into the epidemic's legacy: a tarp structure recalling LA’s homeless encampments, archival material capturing fragmented lives, and neo-grunge soundscapes by Bill Kouligas and Marco Freivogel. Kurt Cobain’s presence looms large, not merely as an icon but as a marker of systemic failure, bridging the pre-crisis era to its present-day horrors.

Yet, beyond the statistics and stark visuals lies a pulse of defiance. OCL shines a light on the feral energy of resistance that emerges from devastation. It reshapes narratives of addiction, exposing the mechanisms of neoliberal governance that perpetuate suffering while celebrating the subcultures that refuse to be erased.

You Can Only Kill Us Once stands as a ritual of reckoning, a testament to both loss and resilience. It refuses despair while confronting the epidemic’s brutal truths, offering a space to mourn, rage, and remember.

The title itself, You Can Only Kill Us Once, serves as a rallying cry—a stark acknowledgment of the epidemic's irreversible toll but also a testament to the enduring spirit of those who refuse to be dehumanized. Through its layered narrative, the exhibition doesn’t simply reflect the horrors of addiction; it critiques the corporate greed, neoliberal policies, and societal neglect that have allowed this crisis to flourish.