Humorous art exhibit not funny

by Rob Peters | January 29, 2008 at 03:43 pm | 699 views | 5 comments

Some funny artists are showing in a new exhibition called "Laughing in a Foreign Language" at The Hayward Gallery in London, but a reviewer for the Guardian says it's not all that drole.

Laughing in a Foreign Language explores the role of laughter and humour in contemporary art. In a time of increasing globalisation, this international exhibition questions if humour can only be appreciated by people with similar cultural, political or historical backgrounds and memories, or whether laughter can act as a catalyst for understanding the unfamiliar.

The humour is depressing, apparently. Something's not right:

First I felt disappointed, then glum, and finally depressed. While the Hayward seems to want us to think of this as a jolly and accessible show by a roster of wacky international artists, the curatorial intention appears to have been altogether darker. No one was laughing on the two visits I made - except on one occasion, when a gallery attendant stifled a guffaw at something another invigilator had whispered in her ear. Maybe he was asking her out. At the sound of her laughter, everyone in the gallery spun around, hoping their long search for one of the rib-tickling moments they felt they had been promised was at an end.

And so, a lament for what could have been:

This could have been an exhibition about humour as transgression. It could have been about art as a witty reaction to linguistic and cultural misunderstanding, as a defence against difference and the terrors of otherness, as a comment on the flatness of a globalised multinational culture and against the fake profundities of the art market - but it's not that either, though at various points it tries to be.

Even if it did fall flat, I wish there were more exhibitions like this. More comedy in art!

Art is about communication, and isn't the shortest distance between two people a laugh?

FYI: For truly funny art, even if unintentionally so, I recommend the Museum of Bad Art in Boston.

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scary-art.com

at 16:53 on January 29th, 2008

more work on scary-art.com

scary-art.com has contributed a photo to this story.

Nia

at 17:02 on January 29th, 2008

My Dad's got these DVD's: 'Coast, a picture of Britain'.
It's a documentary. Beautiful landscapes, history, geography, art, stuff... it's got it all.

One of the reporters, a woman, went to a town where they made rope for the navy in some weird, old, official way.
But she pronounced the 'o' in rope as an 'a', which led to hilarious quotes such as there are:

'This place has got the finest rape in Britain.'
'If you want your rape done the official way, this is the place to be.'

And some other things I can't remember.

My brother and I were laughing, but my Dad didn't get it immediately.
I still think it's funny.

Nia has contributed a photo to this story.

myumbrella.iswet

at 23:00 on January 29th, 2008

David Sedaris meets "It's Not Over!"

myumbrella.iswet has contributed a photo to this story.

nike6

at 12:19 on January 30th, 2008

in north korea, they do not have such art. they only allow, call it censorship, the state-sponsored craftsmanship artwork pattern. which is always superior to real life.

strange stars and artistes pushing society to understand their strange lives and to buy their products. well that's the price of freedom and democracy- people carrying nervously challenged children through the city centre (mention people with visible misformings)- in north korea, they are not allowed.

allowing a culture of bad lyrics and narcotics lyrics, and sexist rock music- freedom and democracy requires it. having the walls full of graffitti and so on and so on.

i mean, i like it. i like freedom and democracy. but i do not understand why strange excentric narcotics people are abusing this privilege to push their weird content, to be on the loft, and to make people think about subjects of death and dying.

i think these pictures somehow add to the category- even if there is some highly sophisticated intellectual background.

just take a look what the korean's think is art- or maybe not. it is not only experimenting around with a clutter of patterns, color, glue and materials, it also requires a high skill of crafts manship. wonder how they slip through the university- maybe they can enter if they have money from some sources.

maybe art in reality is not what i believe to be art- among monet there is also picasso, and other abstract works. go to a museum of art, and consume three hours of confusion.

OH yes- it is a catalyst for understanding and transformation of the society. strange not everyone can come, grab some pens, and add some coloring activity using schemes. even if it maybe looks nice.

only the priviledged are allowed to produce such riddle patterns- the public will come and riddle for ages what's the mystery behind it.

i say all this is not art. it is catalyst for understanding and transformation of society- but it is not art!