“The people who are the funniest in my life are also the best artists,” curator Yng-Ru Chen told me while discussing her newest show, Punchline, which is taking over Jane Lombard Gallery’s Tribeca space from 7 July to 12 August. Existing in the overlap between art and humor, Punchline showcases 11 artists who use a range of approaches to the comedic to imbue their work with memorable twists, personality, authenticity and something a little different.
Chen conceived of the show both as a way to lean into the lighter atmosphere of the summer months, as well as a much-needed departure from the trauma of the Covid years. Eager to create something fun and inclusive, she started with the Guerrilla Girls, an anonymous group of female artists who since 1985 have made a practice of upstaging the art scene with edgy, attention-grabbing feminist political art. Chen told me that, “They were really the originators of using humor to make a point artistically when the patriarchy and mainstream society did not see the importance of what they were trying to say.”
