ÉCLATS DU RIRE !

Le Tripostal
59000 Lille, Avenue Willy Brandt

Exhibition
opening: Thursday 8 October

Opening
days Coming soon

Curated by: Caroline David, lille3000
In collaboration with Platform, the network of regional contemporary art funds

This autumn, Lille is set to become the capital of humour and daring. For the first time in their history, the 22 Regional Contemporary Art Funds (FRACs) are coming together in a single venue for an extraordinary event: the exhibition *Éclats du rire!* 

‘Art is a game, and laughter is one of its very serious rules’ 

A historic gathering to celebrate a unique heritage

The result of a unique collaboration between lille3000 and the Platform network, this exhibition celebrates 40 years of passion and cultural decentralisation. This historic gathering will showcase the richness of the French art scene — from emerging talents to established artists — in dialogue with international creators. Spanning all three floors of the Tripostal (5,000 ^m²), the 22 FRACs will reveal the richness of their collections through the prism of irony, derision, subversion and fantasy. 

Humour as a critical tool

Far from the image of an elitist or austere art form, *Éclats du rire!* offers a lively journey in which laughter becomes a tool for reflection. From wordplay to subversion, the selected works joyfully challenge our certainties. From the lightest humour to the most sarcastic, from the most absurd to the most satirical, the exhibition invites visitors to take an active role in their own experience through emotion and wit. 

An event for everyone

Curated by Caroline David, this exhibition has been designed to be an inclusive and accessible experience. It is aimed at all generations, demonstrating that contemporary art can be as profound as it is irresistibly funny.

Featuring: Carlos Aires, Ivan Argote, Basserode, Glen Baxter, Ben, Jurgen Bey, Diego Bianchi, Marcel Broodthaers, Maurizio Cattelan, Jacques Charlier, Jean-Jules Chasse-pot, Claude Closky, Mathis Collins, Tony Cragg, François Curlet, Brice Dellsperger, Hélène Delprat, Wim Delvoye, John Deneuve, Hervé Di Rosa, Erik Dietman, Robert Doisneau, Jean Dupuy, Eric Duyckaerts, Ernest T., Erró, Esther Ferrer, Robert Filliou, Daniel Firman, Peter Fischli & David Weiss, Thierry Fontaine, Samuel Fosso, Michel François, Jean-François Gavoty, General Idea, Pauline Ghersi, Piero Gilardi, John Giorno, Michel Gouéry, Raymond Hains, Jean Hélion, Hans Hemmert, Joël Hubaut, Rodolphe Huguet, Fabrice Hyber, Arnaud Labelle-Rojoux, Stéphane Lallemand, Bertrand Lavier, Ange Leccia, Aurore Le Duc, Lou Le Forban, Natacha Lesueur, Guy Limone, Jacques Lizène, Clémentine Margheriti, Philippe Mayaux, Paul McCarthy, Tony Matelli, Annette Messager, François Morellet, David Nash, Manuel Ocampo, Orlan, Laurina Paperina, Présence Panchounette, Philippe Parreno, Bruno Peinado, Régis Perray, Guillaume Pinard, Julien Prévieux, Laure Prouvost, Radi Designers, Philippe Ramette, Guy Rottier, Batoul S’Himi, Peter Saul, Franck Scurti, Alain Séchas, David Shrigley, Roman Signer, Pierrick Sorin, Taroop & Glabel, Roland Topor, Endre Tót, Béatrice Utrilla and Bertrand Arnaud, Jean-Luc Verna, Martha Wilson, Nancy Wilson-Pajic, Erwin Wurm… 

A programme of events will be organised at the Tripostal to accompany the exhibition. 

It will showcase a form of comedy that has proved very popular with audiences: stand-up comedy. 

This cross-disciplinary collaboration between the visual arts and the performing arts will foster a dialogue between two creative forms that share a common penchant for provocation, reflection and laughter, and will bring together different audiences. 

The stand-up scene in Lille and the wider metropolitan area, with its many comedy clubs and festivals dedicated to this art form, provides the ideal breeding ground for exploring and bringing to life the themes presented in the exhibition. Several cultural partners offering a variety of performance formats will be involved in the programme.

lille3000’s series of invitations to major contemporary art collections at the Tripostal – 2007: François Pinault Foundation, 2010: Saatchi Gallery, 2011: Centre National des Arts Plastiques, 2013: Galerie Emmanuel Perrotin, 2014: Private Flemish collectors, 2017: Centre Pompidou, 2020: Design Museum Gent, 2022: Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain, 2023: Vanhaerents Art Collection, 2025: Centre Pompidou.