Roll with Punch(line) explores how contemporary artists use humor and satire to navigate personal and social challenges
Roll with the punchesis a phrase borrowed from boxing, meaning to move with the force of a punch to soften its impact. This idea represents the ability to adapt and stay resilient in the face of hardship. When paired with the concept of a “punchline,” the joke’s concluding twist, creates a dual metaphor: how we laugh off life’s blows, turning adversity into moments of humor and reflection.
Roll with Punch(line) explores how contemporary artists use humor and satire to navigate personal and social challenges. Through various mediums like painting, sculpture, video, and installations, the exhibition shows how laughter can transform pain, provoke thought, and challenge authority. These works are sometimes playful, sometimes sharp, but always engaging, using humor to express resistance and resilience.
The Strength in Humor, Satire as a Form of Protest
In adversity, “rolling with the punches” is physical and mental. Artists featured here use humor to respond to life’s complexities, turning what could be overwhelming into something more manageable. Whether through absurdity, exaggeration, or self-deprecation, their works reveal how laughter offers a way to cope, adapt, and even thrive in difficult situations. Satire has long been a tool for challenging power, norms, and injustice. In this exhibition, artists use wit and irony to dissect social and political realities. Their sharp, critical takes often point out the flaws in systems of power while drawing the audience in with humor. These works demonstrate how satire can be a potent protest, giving voice to resistance without losing its humor.
Engaging with the Audience
Roll with Punch(line) is an exhibition of humorous art and an invitation for dialogue. The audience is encouraged to engage with the artwork, reflecting on the deeper meanings behind the humor. The exhibition explores themes ranging from personal hardship to collective trauma, asking the audience to “roll with the punches” themselves and consider how humor helps us find strength and solace.
In today’s unpredictable world, the ability to “roll with the punches” is more important than ever. Through humor and satire, the artists in this exhibition show how laughter can be a tool for confronting life’s challenges. Sometimes, a joke is all it takes to face hardship with renewed courage.
Exhibition Dates: Jan 16, 2025 – March 15, 2025 (as part of the Art SG week program) Location: JW Projects, Singapore
Invited Artists: Pixy Liao (NY), MAK2 (HK), Chan Ka Kiu (HK), Lizzie Wee (SG), Lin Aojie （CN）
Curator: Chris WAN FENG (HK) and Wang Jingwei (SG)
