Pushing the boundaries of taste — the witty and satirical Joan Cornellà exhibition is back on stage

By MOOK Scenic Spots Zhang Yawen | Reported and compiled
 
The Spanish artist known for his dark humor, Joan Cornellà, made his first appearance in Taiwan in 2016, attracting over 20,000 visitors in just 17 days — an astonishing record. Two years later, this September he returns to Taiwan for a special exhibition, which will run for nearly a month, from September 7 to September 30 at Woolloomooloo Xhibit in Xinyi District.

After nearly two years, 《Joan Cornellà: A Taipei Solo Exhibition 2018》 expands in scale, featuring a large number of brand-new artworks and sculptures that have never been shown in Taiwan before. During the exhibition period, Joan Cornellà will make surprise appearances, allowing Taiwanese fans to once again dive into his wildly surreal and over-the-top world.

Hailing from Barcelona, Joan Cornellà excels at presenting taboo subjects right at the edge of decency. His characters often wear blank, smiling faces, satirizing various social phenomena such as religion, race, gender, violence, and social media. With absurdly surreal storylines full of contrast, he showcases his unique style and offers a distinctive perspective on the world.

Without using any words, he lays bare the darkest side of human nature with bright, vivid colors. The characters in his comics look like they're made of plastic, always wearing big smiles even as horrifying and exaggerated things happen around them. Observing the characters’ signature eerie grins reveals a reality far more absurd than fiction.

Joan Cornellà’s works are often seen as disturbing and defiant of social norms. Within just a few years, his surreal black humor gained massive traction on social media, amassing over four million followers. In 2016, he was even invited to design the cover for Grammy-winning band Wilco's album 《Schmilco》, and some of his pieces have been turned into animated shorts.