We like contemporary art exhibitions. The ones that surprise us, that keep us talking afterwards, and sometimes the ones we don’t quite agree on. We have particularly fond memories of the exhibition featuring the Centre Pompidou collections at the Tripostal. So, with a title like “Éclats du rire!” — bursts of laughter — we naturally want to see what comes next.
We haven’t visited this one yet, but plan to go very soon. Contemporary art that allows itself a little lightness is something we enjoy.
Humour across the Tripostal’s three levels
From 9 October 2026 to 3 January 2027, lille3000 brings works from the collections of the 22 Frac, France’s regional contemporary art funds, to the Tripostal. Curated by Caroline David, the exhibition explores humour in several forms: self-mockery, wordplay, everyday objects given a twist, and satire.
Artists include Daniel Firman, John Giorno, Annette Messager, Maurizio Cattelan and ORLAN. Very different worlds brought together by art’s ability to shift things slightly: a familiar image, gesture or object suddenly takes on another meaning.
The three levels move from artists putting themselves in the picture to subversions of art’s conventions, then towards a more political reading of society. The laughter can be light, but also rather sharp. The title sets the tone; it doesn’t tell the whole story.
“Trop mignon!”, “Éclats du rire!”… museums have a way with titles
Another thing that amuses us is how these exhibitions are named. At the Louvre-Lens right now, it’s “Trop mignon! L’art du bonheur” — “So Cute! The Art of Happiness”. Cute, kawaii: firmly in tune with today’s visual culture, circulating on social media, across generations and throughout the creative world.
At the Tripostal, “Éclats du rire!” is a little more restrained. It isn’t “Dying of Laughter”, let alone “LOL”, but it isn’t a million miles from that very direct way of setting the mood. The title speaks to everyone before they even know which artists are showing.
We rather like that. Familiar words provide a way into exhibitions that, presented differently, might seem intended only for regular museum-goers. They can catch the attention of younger visitors, but also anyone who doesn’t necessarily feel at home in a museum.
And we’re interested in what happens once you’re through the door. A title that catches the mood of the moment gets your attention; the works still have plenty to say.
Opening the door wider, and going a little further
There’s an interesting question here too. Contemporary art can still seem elitist, with its conventions, references and vocabulary that leave some people feeling excluded. A welcoming title can help with that first step.
But images and ideas circulate everywhere now. Every day on social media we encounter photography, drawing, performances, montages and transformed objects. Not all of it is contemporary art, of course. It does, however, make us familiar with visual forms and unexpected juxtapositions that used to be harder to come across outside exhibition spaces.
That’s also why we expect something beyond an appealing theme. An exhibition that starts with an accessible idea, then takes it somewhere else. Something that can make us smile in front of a work and keep us thinking about it afterwards.
A temporary exhibition can persuade someone to step inside a museum for the first time. Then to return, explore its permanent collections, or become interested in an unfamiliar artist. We like that idea: coming for an intriguing title and leaving with an interest you hadn’t expected.
To find out how “Éclats du rire!” delivers on that promise, we’ll have to go. For now, we want to. And that’s already a good reason to plan a visit to Lille.
Éclats du rire! at the Tripostal: practical details
- Dates: 9 October 2026 to 3 January 2027.
- Venue: The Tripostal, 22 avenue Willy Brandt, near Lille-Flandres station.
- Opening hours: Wednesday–Sunday, 11am–6pm; Thursdays until 8pm.
- Closed: Mondays and Tuesdays.
- Admission: €12, reduced rate €8, free for under-18s. Official tickets and conditions (French).
From La Maison Fives, find the route to the Tripostal on Google Maps.
More from La Maison Fives
- Our visit to Pom Pom Pidou at the Tripostal — 2025 archive, in French
- Our ceramics studio and shop in Lille Fives
Stay at La Maison Fives
La Maison Fives is five rooms and a ceramics studio in Lille’s Fives Cail neighbourhood. We’re in a changing part of the city, with the metro nearby for the Tripostal and the centre. Somewhere to come back to after the exhibition, and a base for discovering the old town, other museums and neighbourhood life too. Explore our rooms and our ceramics studio: the exhibition can be the starting point for your stay, with plenty more of Lille to discover around it.
