Funny People at Lowry

Art galleries are traditionally places we head to for quiet contemplation – laughing out loud isn’t usually part of the experience. However, this new exhibition, Funny People – Art and Humour by Artists and Comedians, is looking to change all that.

Bringing together some of Britain’s best-loved comedians alongside leading contemporary artists, Funny People explores what happens when art meets comedy. And, perhaps more interestingly, what happens when we stop taking either quite so seriously.

Featuring work by Harry Hill, Jenny Eclair, Johnny Vegas, Jessica Hynes, Jim Moir (better known as Vic Reeves) and Katy Wix, alongside artists including David Shrigley, Sarah Lucas, Ryan Gander and Magda Archer, the exhibition brings together an impressive collection of creative minds with a shared appreciation for the ridiculous.

Across painting, sculpture, film, performance and installation, Funny People explores humour in all its forms. From the gloriously absurd and surreal to the politically loaded and deeply personal, there’s plenty here to suggest that making people laugh can be just as thought-provoking as making them think.

And let’s face it, there’s no shortage of material. Against a backdrop of political uncertainty, information overload and seemingly endless bad news, humour can offer a welcome escape. But it can also be a powerful way of questioning the world around us, challenging expectations and saying something serious without necessarily keeping a straight face.

Contemporary Curator Zoe Watson told us, “Funny People is a perfect Venn diagram bringing together art and humour in our galleries. It feels especially at home at Lowry, where we host many comedians across our stages. By exploring many different facets of humour, the exhibition reflects the richness and complexity of everyday human experience.”

Co-curated by Watson and comedian, writer and Secret Artists podcast host Annie McGrath, the exhibition also offers visitors the chance to get involved. Fans of Taskmaster can tackle a special challenge devised exclusively for the exhibition by the show’s creator, Alex Horne. There’s also a mischievous audio guide to the LS Lowry collection from Manchester comedian Edy Hurst, a specially commissioned performance by Rebecca Moss and a takeover evening by Manchester comedy collective Fight Club.

Running throughout the colder months, Funny People offers a welcome dose of humour. Better still, admission is completely free.

Funny, provocative and occasionally absurd, this is an exhibition that makes a convincing case for humour as an art form in its own right. And if it encourages a few more people to laugh in an art gallery, all the better.