5 May – 16 June 2007

Be it parody or satire, irony or wit, the slapstick performance or the cringe worthy pun, comedy offers the artist a light hearted means to consider and engage with the weighty issues of the day.

Joking Aside explores ways in which humour is used by artists to provide a variety of views on modern life and the social and political conditions to which we all adhere. Here, such matters as human behaviour and beliefs, ethnicity and immigration, the Arts and the current state of British culture are scrutinised with comic devices, providing a ‘funny side’ to these otherwise very serious debates.

In Common Culture’s ‘Local Comics’ two lone comedians battle for centre stage, performing their stand up routines in which they share their ‘local’ views on the ‘big’ issues. Social stereotyping and prejudices are among the subjects up for discussion in Yara El-Sherbini’s playful text-based jokes and visual puns while Festival Residency artist Alex Pearl’s witty video sketches explore the darker side of human existence. Richard Prince takes a swipe at the serious natured world of high art, in particular the minimalists, with his painted jokes and comic drawings. Photographic evidence is questioned in ‘Miracles & Co.’, Joan Fontcuberta’s humorous account of his findings from the small monastic community of Valhamönde in Finland. Here, Fontcuberta says, is where “monks from all the religions go… to learn how to do miracles.” Entertainment meets industry via the Eastern Europeans in Olga Jürgenson’s tongue in cheek, interactive karaoke video ‘Go West!’ and historical examples of humour in art can be seen in Henry William Bunbury’s satirical works, kindly loaned for exhibition by St Edmundsbury Borough Council.

Friday 4 May    6 - 8pm Exhibition Preview

A special opening party for the Joking Aside exhibition with an exclusive stand up routine by New Orleans comedian David Mulholland. Refreshments provided. No booking required.

Presented in association with the Fat Cat Comedy Club