East Austin cocktail bar, papercut, has never been the kind of bar that quietly hangs art on the wall and calls it a night. They treat cocktails like conversations and exhibitions like confessions, which makes it the perfect setting for Anatomy of a Poor Decision, a new solo show by interdisciplinary artist Kaelin Palcu, on view now through April 25, 2026.
The title on its own kind of feels dangerously relatable. We have all made at least one decision that looked questionable on paper but felt absolutely necessary at the time. Palcu’s work lives in that exact emotional space. The exhibition was born out of a period of personal upheaval when Palcu left a disciplined, upward-moving life in New York and relocated to Austin for a relationship that many people politely questioned. What followed was not a neat narrative arc but something messier and more honest. That tension is embedded in every piece.
Unlike her earlier work, which leaned heavily into physical form, Anatomy of a Poor Decision embraces the ephemeral. The paintings are built from dozens of buried layers that surface and disappear, creating textures that feel restless and unresolved. There is a constant push and pull between restraint and impulse, structure and surrender. Standing in front of the work, you start to question not just the decisions being depicted, but your own definitions of success, failure, and timing.
papercut deepens the experience by doing what it does best, translating feeling into flavor. For the duration of the exhibition, the bar team has created a limited edition cocktail menu designed as a sensory extension of the artwork. Each drink mirrors the emotional undercurrents of the show, turning the act of ordering a cocktail into part of the exhibition itself.
HER MAJESTY is bright and floral with rakia, rhubarb, quince, and elderflower, offering elegance with a slightly sharp edge. AMOXICILLIN goes smoky and medicinal, layering Johnnie Walker Double Black with burnt honey, ginger yellow Chartreuse, and a whisper of Laphroaig. EXIT 353 feels reflective and complex, built on brandy and rye with sour cherry, vermouth, and warm spice. AN ARGUMENT ABOUT TEXTURE is exactly what it sounds like, combining vodka, rum, hazelnut, cacao, cold brew, and dark chocolate hojicha mousse into something rich, layered, and quietly confrontational like a scene out of Mad Men.
Together, the cocktails and artwork invite guests to sit with discomfort, contradiction, and curiosity. You are not just viewing the exhibition. You are tasting it, slowly, one deliberate sip at a time.
Anatomy of a Poor Decision is on view February 25 – April 25, 2026
papercut
908 E 5th St. #107, Austin, TX
Wednesday & Thursday 5pm – 12am, Friday & Saturday 6pm – 1am
Walk-ins only