Sprüth Mager's latest exhibition, 'Seriously', is a show that has a sense of humour - and it makes its case over four floors filled with still and moving images that are as ridiculous as they are thought-provoking. The works on display challenge conventional notions of photography, satire, and even the art world itself.
The exhibit begins with Martine Syms' "She Mad: The Non-Hero", a conceptual TikTok tale inspired by Lil Nas X's Life Story series from 2021, which satirically tackles social media mores. But Syms isn't the only one using humor to make a point - Louise Lawler's "Birdcalls" is an ear-piercing audio work in which she screams out the names of famous white male artists, highlighting the art world's sexism.
The show also features Thomas Ruff's photography series, L'Empereur, in which he throws himself around a room, dressed in brown and yellow. The images are laugh-out-loud funny, yet also thought-provoking - they challenge our expectations of what an artist should do.
Other artists join in on the fun, with Thomas Demand creating witty photographs like a slipper stuck under a door, while Aneta Grzeszykowska pays homage to Cindy Sherman's style. However, not all of the jokes work - some are lost on contemporary audiences or feel like they belong out of place.
The show also features an intriguing 12-minute video by John Smith, "The Girl Chewing Gum", in which a voice guides passersby around a street in London. The film is hilarious, yet eerily prescient in its anticipation of fake news and false narratives.
At the end of it all, Sprüth Mager's 'Seriously' raises an interesting question: can conceptual art make you laugh? It's unlikely - but that doesn't mean it can't challenge our values and politics. With playfulness and wit, conceptual artists have pushed photography into uncharted territory. This exhibition may not be a laughing matter for everyone, but its humor is a reminder of the power of art to poke fun at itself and us.
The exhibit begins with Martine Syms' "She Mad: The Non-Hero", a conceptual TikTok tale inspired by Lil Nas X's Life Story series from 2021, which satirically tackles social media mores. But Syms isn't the only one using humor to make a point - Louise Lawler's "Birdcalls" is an ear-piercing audio work in which she screams out the names of famous white male artists, highlighting the art world's sexism.
The show also features Thomas Ruff's photography series, L'Empereur, in which he throws himself around a room, dressed in brown and yellow. The images are laugh-out-loud funny, yet also thought-provoking - they challenge our expectations of what an artist should do.
Other artists join in on the fun, with Thomas Demand creating witty photographs like a slipper stuck under a door, while Aneta Grzeszykowska pays homage to Cindy Sherman's style. However, not all of the jokes work - some are lost on contemporary audiences or feel like they belong out of place.
The show also features an intriguing 12-minute video by John Smith, "The Girl Chewing Gum", in which a voice guides passersby around a street in London. The film is hilarious, yet eerily prescient in its anticipation of fake news and false narratives.
At the end of it all, Sprüth Mager's 'Seriously' raises an interesting question: can conceptual art make you laugh? It's unlikely - but that doesn't mean it can't challenge our values and politics. With playfulness and wit, conceptual artists have pushed photography into uncharted territory. This exhibition may not be a laughing matter for everyone, but its humor is a reminder of the power of art to poke fun at itself and us.
. I mean, who wouldn't want to scream out the names of famous white male artists just to highlight sexism in the art world? 
But seriously (no pun intended), it's interesting how some jokes fall flat on contemporary audiences. Still, I think that's what makes this show so great - it challenges our expectations and pushes photography into uncharted territory 
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. It feels like a fun, irreverent take on the art world. And that 12-minute video by John Smith? Hilarious, but also eerily prescient 
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martine syms' "she mad" is genius - who knew tiktok could be a powerful art form? 
louise lawler's screaming audio work is just wow, that takes balls (pun intended) 
and thomas ruff's photography series has me dying laughing 
the video by john smith is crazy though, who knew fake news could be so hilarious 
. I love how they use humor to tackle some heavy issues like sexism in the art world – it's so refreshing! 
Louise Lawler's "Birdcalls" is giving me LIFE right now, screaming out the names of famous white male artists while simultaneously exposing the sexism that comes with it 
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to visualize the show:
It's also interesting to see how some pieces work and others don't, like that one slipper under the door by Thomas Demand. Anyway, what really got me is how this exhibit challenges our expectations of art - it's not just about being serious and pretentious anymore 
And let's talk about engagement metrics... we're looking at a 4-minute average dwell time on each piece, which is insane for an art show 
I mean, who knew conceptual art could be so relatable? 
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. But seriously (pun intended), it's great to see the art world tackling some heavy stuff with a dash of humor. The fact that not everything hits its mark is a testament to how hard it is to make us laugh and think at the same time, though 
And that John Smith video, oh man, it's like a commentary on our society in miniature form!