The Gas Bill / Bad Research - Dan Allon & Ari-Pekka Leinon / a two-person exhibition, Hanut Gallery, Tel Aviv, July-August 2017 Curator: Tali Kayam
Curator Tali Kayam:
"This exhibition ends the summer-season at Hanut Gallery and Theater. The show investigates the borders between aesthetic, humor and street art, at a period saying the word “Nazi” is illegal in Israel, and the politically correct is officially dead. The vitrines of the theater (which usually shows children theatrical shows) are covered with holocaust joke cartoons drawn by Dan Allon, an avid stand-up comedy fan, and an artist who is interested in human experience when related to aesthetics. The drawings make the humor somewhat ridiculous but very painful, as he provokes us with a dilemma: are they funny just because it’s in an artistic context? Should we laugh, cry or be upset? The drawings appear to look like cartoons, referring to Nazi Cartoon (Der Stürmer) and children drawings, to give the historical depth but also to disguise them as innocent.
The spectators will not be able to ignore their on-street presence and will also be requested to participate: next to the drawings there is a QR code which imports a video done by AP Leinonen. The video looks like a multi-character TV show, and Leinonen hosts it as “French Philosopher Berni Hergson” and “Fishraeli artist An Dallon.” While real philosopher Henri Bergson was intrigued by humor, in the movie, he changes roles and characters. Leinonen also reflects on "how funny can holocaust jokes be while told by a Finnish artist, and when do they become anti-semitic?"."
Thanks: Didi Allon
Photos: Lee Barbu