British comedian Joe Lycett has opened his first major solo mixed-media art exhibition, titled “EVERYTHING MUST GO,” in Birmingham [1, 2].
The exhibition marks a transition for Lycett from performance comedy to a large-scale gallery setting, using art to engage the public with local history. By focusing on the disappearance of specific items from the city, the show bridges the gap between contemporary comedy and civic memory.
The exhibition is hosted at the Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery [2, 3]. Lycett said the show is intended to inspire others and to reflect on objects that have disappeared from the city [1, 3]. The works utilize mixed-media formats to explore the theme of things that are no longer with us [3, 4].
Admission to the exhibition is free [2]. The show opened on a Wednesday in July 2024 [1, 3]. This timing aligned with the gallery's efforts to bring diverse, and accessible programming to the Birmingham community.
Lycett's approach to the project combines his background in satire with a genuine exploration of urban loss. The exhibition serves as a curated reflection on the physical and cultural remnants of the city's past—items that once defined the local landscape but have since vanished.
Because the exhibition is free, it aims to remove financial barriers to art appreciation. This accessibility is central to Lycett's goal of inspiring a wider demographic of visitors to consider the relationship between art and the environment they inhabit daily [1, 2].
““EVERYTHING MUST GO” explores the theme of “things that are no longer with us.””
Lycett's move into a formal gallery space signifies a broader trend of multidisciplinary artists using public institutions to blend social commentary with traditional exhibition formats. By centering the work on the specific losses of Birmingham, the project shifts the focus from the celebrity of the artist to the shared identity of the city's residents.
