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'Does Factually Accurate Mean The Same As In All Honesty? (Adam and Eve had belly buttons), Lewk Wilmshurst
Exhibition
TOP BANTZ
1 Apr 2016 – 1 May 2016
Event times
Open 12-5pm on Saturdays and Sundays
Cost of entry
Free
Address
- Unit 3, Vauxhall Business Centre, 131 Vauxhall Road
- Liverpool
- L3 6BN
- United Kingdom
An exhibition exploring the cultural grey areas that exist between contemporary art-making and comedy, showing a range of works by international and emerging artists; Jack Fisher, Susannah Hewlett, Kim Laughton, Milly Peck, Jack Strange and Lewk Wilmshurst.
About
Laughter might have once been seen as taboo in the gallery space, but the values of institutions are changing. The exchange between artist and viewer has become a playful interaction where the cultural grey areas are blurred to create new categories. Artists (or comedians) are frequently opting to make work by using strategies borrowed from stand-up comedy, television and game shows - Is this the humour renaissance, or the end of the (art) world?
“the whole idea of seriousness is awful to me, it sounds like something imposed from without, it doesn't really imply gravity or profundity, it implies decorum, behaving yourself, and that’s what i don't like about it.” Charles Ludlam (date)
In this context is it possible that critically engaged work can poke fun at itself? Can an exhibition deal with seriousness and banter, together? TOP BANTZ aims to explore the paradoxes that humour and art present by engaging audiences with amusement, rather than sincerity. The exhibition will ask the questions; Can artists invest heavily in a project and yet be nonchalant? Is it possible to commit to a cause with anything other than earnestness? Does having TOP BANTZ void all critical discourse?
