Ha Ha Road
dal 10/8/2011 al 30/8/2011
Segnalato da
Boris Achour
Chantal Akerman
Bobby Baker
Dave Ball
Anna + Bernhard Blume
Stella Capes
Yara El Sherbini
Fischli + Weiss
Ceal Floyer
Rodney Graham
Ellie Harrison
Debbie Lawson
Mike Marshall
Kirsten Pieroth
Pipilotti Rist
Mathew Sawyer
Ariel Schlesinger
Hank Schmidt in der Beek
Michael Shaw
Roman Signer
Charles Stankievech
Annika Strom
Bedwyr Williams
Dan Witz
Erwin Wurm
Jill Carruthers
Stefanie Meier
Dave Ball
Sophie Springer
10/8/2011
Ha Ha Road
Quad Gallery, Derby
The show explores what it means to step over this barrier and to set foot into the inexplicable and illogical world of humour. The selected artworks demonstrate how acts of absurdity, irrationality or playfulness can interrupt reality and momentarily destabilise common assumptions. These strategies, and those of all the artists in Ha Ha Road, serve to illustrate the liberating freedom of thought at work in humour. In conjunction with Ha Ha Road, Ha Ha Hallway in QUAD Corridors & Digital Screens is a Comic Strip exhibition with a variety of humorous narrative sequences in cartoon panels.
curated by Dave Ball and Sophie Springer
A new exhibition exploring the use of humour in contemporary art launches in QUAD, Derby from 12th August. Ha Ha Road presents the work of artists who play with a ‘rupture of sense’.
Taking its title from the name of a street, the exhibition plays on its double meaning. Apart from its connection with laughter, a ‘ha-ha’ also refers to a type of sunken boundary: a wall or fence set into a trench, forming a hidden division in a landscape whilst preserving the scenic view. This invisible frontier serves as a neat metaphor for our relationship to the world of laughter. The show explores what it means to step over this barrier and to set foot into the inexplicable and illogical world of humour. The selected artworks demonstrate how acts of absurdity, irrationality or playfulness can interrupt reality and momentarily destabilise common assumptions. These strategies, and those of all the artists in Ha Ha Road, serve to illustrate the liberating freedom of thought at work in humour. They invite us to look at the world from the other side of the fence.
Ha Ha Road is curated by Dave Ball and Sophie Springer and produced by QUAD in collaboration with Mostyn Gallery. Artists presented in the exhibition: Boris Achour (FR), Chantal Akerman (BE), Bobby Baker (UK), Dave Ball (UK), Anna + Bernhard Blume (DE), Stella Capes (UK), Yara El Sherbini (UK), Fischli + Weiss (CH), Ceal Floyer (UK), Rodney Graham (CA), Ellie Harrison (UK), Debbie Lawson (UK), Mike Marshall (UK), Kirsten Pieroth (DE), Pipilotti Rist (CH), Mathew Sawyer (UK), Ariel Schlesinger (IL), Hank Schmidt in der Beek (DE), Michael Shaw (UK), Roman Signer (CH), Charles Stankievech (CA), Annika Ström (SE), Bedwyr Williams (UK), Dan Witz (US) & Erwin Wurm (AT).
In conjunction with Ha Ha Road Ha Ha Hallway in QUAD Corridors & Digital Screens is a Comic Strip exhibition with a variety of humorous narrative sequences in cartoon panels. Including original artworks from newspapers, books or comics, the drawings use humour to comment on amusing everyday issues like food, political affairs or cultural characteristics. Referring to the Ha Ha theme, the exhibition includes well-known British newspaper illustrators such as Tom Gauld, Berger&Wyse and Harry Venning as well as illustrators from America and France, indicative of the universal popularity of the medium. Ha Ha Hallway is curated by Jill Carruthers and Stefanie Meier.
The Exhibition Opening Event, on Thursday 11th August from 6:00pm, featuring live performances in QUAD’s Gallery and Café bar from Bedwyr Williams, and ‘Ha Ha Shakespeare’ from 1623 theatre company and Lostboys productions. Doktor Cocacolamcdonalds will compere ‘Joke’oke Open Mike’ in QUAD. The opening event is free, and open to all.
Ha Ha Road Exhibition tour, on Friday 12th August, from 1:00pm is an opportunity to hear more about artists and their works, led by the exhibition curators Sophie Springer and Dave Ball. The Exhibition tour will take place in QUAD Gallery and is free admission.
Ha Ha Shakespeare Interventions, on Saturday 20th August at 6:00pm and on Wednesday 31st August at 4:30pm will be short Shakespearean comedy interventions from 1623 theatre company and Lostboys Productions will take place in QUAD Gallery and is free admission.
Shakespeare's clowns and fools take to the stage to cast away frowns and exercise your smiling muscles for QUAD’s ‘Ha Ha Shakespeare’ Comedy Event on Friday 9th September, from 7:30pm. To coincide with the Ha Ha Road exhibition, 1623 theatre company and Lostboys Productions will present an hour of comedy. Acts include Touchstone the city slicker, Autolycus the thieving wide-boy and Audrey the lonely goatherd. ‘Ha Ha Shakespeare’ Comedy Event takes place in QUAD Gallery, tickets are £8.00 or £6.00 concessions.
For further information on this event, or any other issue relating to QUAD, please contact Kathy Frain on 01332 285422 (mobile 07791441941) or email kathyf@derbyquad.co.uk
Exhibition Opening Event, on Thursday 11th August from 6pm, featuring live performances
QUAD
Market Place - Cathedral Quarter | Derby