The Symposium will reflect on how we employ humour as a medium to ponder social, ecological, (cultural)-political complexities as well as the absurd situations they generate. It seeks to analyse humour and its various mechanisms, their ability to transform perception of ‘reality,’ break down stereotypes, challenge taboo subjects, and mainstream assumptions. It is going to test humour as a tool to raise and discuss sensitive issues regarding race, gender, class structure, ethnicity, sexuality, violence, and personal identity.

Comic communication (irony, satire, absurd humour, etc.) can often be undervalued, misplaced by sheer silliness or made difficult due to politically correct sensibilities. We believe that comic genres are often the best tools to lay bare the various absurdities in the art and academic world, to drive us out from our ‘professional bubble’, and have a different approach to the reality governed by populism. We propose challenging the often overserious character of conversation and reflect on the potential of humour as a tool of self-critique as well as self-reflection.

The participants will investigate the ways artistic and curatorial work can work around limitations of traditional comedy by bringing in references from art and cultural history as well as explore jokes as ‘innovative actions’ commenting on cultural, political and social complexities.

Download the programme here

All events (excluding food) are open to the public.

Curators: 
Lívia Páldi & Vytautas Michelkevičius

Participants (in order of appearance):
Olav Westphalen
Lívia Páldi & Vytautas Michelkevičius
Error Collective (Ernest Truely & Justin Tyler Tate)
Gernot Wieland
Irina Gheorghe
Lisette Olivares
Janks Archive (Ben Kinsley & Jessica Langley)
Julijonas Urbonas
Carla Gannis & Yuliya Lanina
Žygimantas Kudirka
Error Collective (Ernest Truely & Justin Tyler Tate & John Fail)
Dafna Maimon
Lindsey White
Michal Libera
Verena Seibt & Markus Zimmermann
Masha Fomenko & Petr Laden
Paulina Eglė Pukytė
Kasia Fudakowski

Facilitating artists:
Donatas Linkus, Marta Frėjutė, Saulė Barley (Miežytė), Lukas Strioga, Sallamari Rantala

Team:
Julija Navarskaitė, Linas Ramanauskas, Andrej Vasilenko, Goda Aksamitauskaitė, Indrė Liškauskaitė, Kęstutis Minderis, Rasa Antanavičiūtė

Symposium is organized by NGO MENE in collaboration with Nida Art Colony of Vilnius Academy of Arts. Partly supported by Lithuanian Council of Culture and The Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Lithuania.