‘By any memes necessary’: I attended a meme-centric art show

An event for angsty adolescents, including the ‘Sylvia Plath of memes’

We are currently living in a meme renaissance, and it is truly a time to be alive. From the mainstream Facebook memes that everyone constantly tag their friends in, to the rare subculture memes, all are welcome and thriving.

The popularity of meme culture led to the creation of “by any memes necessary”, a meme themed art show that was curated by the online meme accounts @ka5sh, @scariest_bug_ever, @versace_tamagotchi, @tequilafunrise, @bunnymemes, @sensualmemes, and @gothshakira. The show opened on February 10th at Junior High gallery in Los Angeles, and let me just say the place was packed. The indie meme queens and kings all rolled up to the venue decked out in their quirkiest attire, ready to see some dank memes.

Each meme account featured in the show had a carefully curated collection; each collection directly reflected the humor of each individual account. @versace_tamagotchi for example focused on humor about skaters and Monster energy drinks, incredibly hardcore. @sonny5ideup on the other hand tied all of their pieces together by including a sunny side up egg somewhere in the picture; their overall collection included allusions to the 90s and early 2000s.

@sensualmemes had multiple starter pack memes, and memes that allude to the lifestyle of those involved in the subcultural art scene. @bunnymemes, who calls herself “The Sylvia Plath of memes,” had pieces that included pictures of real, well executed paintings accompanied by snarky commentary; a couple even had a political tone, especially the one that made a comment on the struggle of identity and white passing.

Many of the accounts had memes that focused on self-deprecation and a general lack of ability to cope. Together, those in attendance bonded over the exhibit by repeatedly uttering the statement, “Omg this is literally me.” Because these memes were just so #relatable.

Junior High gallery did an amazing job putting on this show. With a live DJ and and an even livelier crowd of people, the entire show was quite the experience. By the time I left, there was a line out the door to get into the venue; it was absolutely popping. We should expect more shows such as this  as society continues to value online culture. Now that we have all had a taste of meme culture, it is impossible to think of a world without such humorous online content. Memes are love, memes are life.

 

More
University of Southern California