Exhibition

ANTIVENOM: VERMIN

<p class="cvGsUA direction-ltr align-start para-style-body"><span class="OYPEnA font-feature-liga-off font-feature-clig-off font-feature-calt-off text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none">ANTIVENOM:</span><span class="OYPEnA font-feature-liga-off font-feature-clig-off font-feature-calt-off text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none white-space-prewrap"> </span><span class="OYPEnA font-feature-liga-off font-feature-clig-off font-feature-calt-off text-decoration-none text-strikethrough-none">VERMIN</span></p>

When

24 January 2025 -
02 March 2025

Location

4A LAB

181-187 Hay St, Haymarket

Exhibition opening day celebrations
Friday 24 January, 6–8pm
Free | Register here.

The VERMIN installation in 4A LAB offers an in-depth exploration of how an environmental hazard – the feral cane toad – can be transformed into a sustainable luxury fashion material. This ambitious project began in the Torres Strait Islands, a region deeply affected by the invasive species, where Indigenous communities, local rangers and pest control officers are working to mitigate the toad’s impact on native wildlife and ecosystems.

Accompanied by artist talks and events, VERMIN highlights a commitment to environmentally conscious processes and supporting First Nations-led initiatives, while charting a path toward becoming 100% Australian owned and made.

By merging environmental rehabilitation with luxury design, VERMIN exemplifies how creative industries can address complex ecological and social challenges, presenting a powerful model for sustainable innovation.

Public Program

Antivenom: Artist Talks
Saturday 25 January | 2pm - 4pm
Free | Held in-person at 4A
This event has ceased

Stay tuned for more public programs.

Artists

Lia Tabrah, ANTIVENOM: VERMIN (installation view), 2025. Commissioned by 4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art
Lia Tabrah, with Jenny Bannister, Toad a GoGo, 2019, cane toad leather, cane toad, sterling silver, metal, Swarovski crystals
Lia Tabrah, ANTIVENOM: VERMIN (installation view), 2025. Commissioned by 4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art
Lia Tabrah, ANTIVENOM: VERMIN (installation view), 2025. Commissioned by 4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art
Lia Tabrah, Luxe Black Toad Bag With Gold Heads, 2019, cane toad leather, cane toad, 24ct gold, Swarovski crystals
Lia Tabrah, Swamp Green Bumbag, 2020, cane toad leather, cane toad foot, nickel plating, Swarovski crystal
Lia Tabrah, ANTIVENOM: VERMIN (installation view), 2025. Commissioned by 4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art
Lia Tabrah, ANTIVENOM: VERMIN (installation view), 2025. Commissioned by 4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art
Lia Tabrah, Gold Punk Toad, 2019, 24ct gold plated cane toad featuring Swarovski crystals and metal spikes
  

Top image: Lia Tabrah, Toad Couture, 2017, cane toad skin and talons. Commissioned by Museum of Old and New Art's Eat the Problem. Photo: Jasmin Fisher, Art Direction: Luke Hutchinson, Model: Tiah Vocale, MUA: Lou McLaren. Courtesy of the artist and Museum of Old and New Art.

Exhibition documentation: Jessica Maurer