Joke Taxonomy — Jincheng Deng

Joke Taxonomy, Curated by Jincheng Deng, 2024,138 Gallery, Melbourne, Australia

Artists: Yusi Zang, James Brett, Simon Zoric, Sturt Ringholt, Lou Houbbard, Chunxiao Qu

"Joke Taxonomy" operates as a question, inviting artists and audiences to unravel what crucial elements give form to a joke through a specially curated collection of installations.The project delves into the intriguing contradictions that often surround jokes/humour. In the conventional sense, a joke aims to amuse, elicit laughter, or lighten the mood. However, what occurs when a piece of art unintentionally evokes laughter, as in the case ofJens Haaning's “Take the Money and Run”? Is it then categorised as a joke due to its effect rather than its intended form? Similarly, in the film "Catch Me If You Can," Tom Hanks' character delivers a knock-knock joke that, despite lacking humour, still maintains the form of a traditional joke. Is it still a joke if it has the form but not the intended effect? These intriguing questions are at the core of the exhibition, asking both artists and audiences toreflect on what constitutes the form of a joke.