MA Critical Studies Lecture Series: Concert with Trace Polly with a following Q&A
The student-organized lecture series invites you to a concert followed by a moderated Q&A with musician and performer Trace Polly.
TRACE POLLY is an experimental singer, songwriter, producer, performer, and multi-instrumentalist based in Cologne. In 2026, TRACE POLLY gained international notoriety for her disruptive use of everyday objects—including sex toys, sewing machines, and hair clippers—to play string instruments. The emotional and physical intensity of her music finds its fullest expression on stage.
TRACE POLLY creates performances that are as moving as they are unsettling. Immersive and cathartic, they inhabit the space between fragile vulnerability and raw energy. Haunting vocals, eruptive screams, and moments of profound silence coalesce into an atmosphere that lingers long after the final note. Her music is deeply rooted in her experience as a queer trans woman, blending gentle falsetto, visceral screams, and layered guitars. With emotional honesty at its core, her sound transmutes rage, grief, and love into a singular vision of experimental music.
At the intersection of sound, theory, and performativity, this event blends lecture elements with a live concert into an immersive journey. By enriching intellectual discourse with a profound emotional, physical and auditory dimension, it challenges traditional academic settings.
Q & A will be held in English.
With support of ÖH akbild and Institute for Art Theory and Cultural Studies.