Going to the museum for a laugh

On November 11 at 11 a.m., the Rhineland will ring in the »fifth season« as usual. Right in the middle of it all: the former federal capital Bonn. On this day, the municipal Bundeskunsthalle resigns itself to its native fate and dedicates itself to the exhibition RIDICULOUSLY YOURS! Art, Awkwardness and Enthusiasm on this day to the heart of the region. That carnival can silliness is an open secret. How artists approach their work with wit, the museum wants to prove to the public with the event.

According to the Bundeskunsthalle, the exhibition flirts with »the humor of disaster, bad taste, the camp approach, B-movie culture, science fiction and horror, but also with immaturity, idiocy, intuition and, of course, passion.« It presents works from the 16th century to the present by a total of about 100 artists. It focuses on the classical avant-garde of the early 20th century. In addition to bold innovations, radical negation, and startling aesthetic principles, here they dared to use art to create »a special kind of laughter« and shake up authority. The exhibition spaces are shared by humorous contemporaries of various styles: from Renaissance artist Pieter Bruegel the Elder to Dada and Surrealism pioneer Marcel Duchamp and contemporary artist Nicole Eisenman, all exhibits demonstrate their own sense of humor and enthusiasm. The exhibition will take place between November 11 and April 10, 2023.