Comedian and artist Joe Lycett will present his first major solo exhibition, 'EVERY THING MUST GO', at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery in July 2026. The show features paintings on themes of things 'no longer with us', including deceased celebrities, discontinued chocolate bars, extinct animals, and destroyed buildings, displayed in a salon-style arrangement. Lycett describes the exhibition as a 'neon graveyard' meant to overwhelm, delight, and confuse visitors. The works were created over the past twelve months and were inspired by objects from Birmingham's collection.
The exhibition matters because it marks a significant step for Lycett, a well-known comedian, into the fine art world, following previous appearances at major UK institutions like the Royal Academy of Arts and the National Portrait Gallery. It also highlights Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery's commitment to engaging contemporary audiences through pop culture and humor, bridging the gap between traditional museum displays and modern, accessible art. The show underscores the growing trend of crossover between entertainment and visual art, attracting new demographics to museum spaces.