Venezuelan painter-performer Zeus Alas conceived a series of three live painting performances that align and conclude with the closure of a period in the artist’s life. In all three parts of this trilogy, Zeus pays homage to one of his signature colors, red.

In his performance series Death Trilogy, Zeus reflects on the evolution of his work, assessing his own motivations for starting to paint and the journey he has taken since he picked up the brush eight years ago. Over the course of the three acts, the artist traverses through death, viscerality, and spirituality to arrive at his resurrection; he seeks to leave what must be left behind and to get ready for what is to come. The three performances comprise the burial and integration of his signature mask, as well as a final and spectacular public cutting of himself as part of his art practice.

Volume 1 and Volume 2 have been concluded as video pieces, Volume 3 is a live performance in front of an audience.

Vol. 3: ZEN
This third performance of the trilogy is an antithesis to his 2021 disruptive performance of 666, in which Zeus painted 666 versions of his signature devil characters in black ink while drinking a bottle of absinthe and seeking to destroy the spirit.

On this occasion, the artist surrenders in peace as he walks down the memory lane of his own mythology. ZEN references 108, the sacred number of Dharmic Religions, thus signifying spiritual completion and the wholeness of existence.

After 16 hours of fasting and neither eating nor drinking during the performance, Zeus arrives to paint 108 white canvases of 18 x 27 cm with red ink.

Place: The Workshop Budapest

Address: 1061 Budapest, Paulay Ede u. 16