An exhibition by Cem A., the artist behind the art meme account @freeze_magazine, bringing elements of meme culture, art, and art history together in a site-specific intervention across the Barbican.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMeSEFoAxlc&t=9s

Hope You See Me as a Friend is the first exhibition in the UK by Cem A. Spread across the Centre, it utilises the information screens as a site for intervention, creating a new medium to communicate with audiences.

The intention is not to challenge the pre-eminence of memes as digital beings that exist on the internet. Rather, it situates elements of memes within material environments, hoping that the niche references within the artworks would find their way back online after replicating through physical spaces, gaining new connotations. It aspires to prompt momentary reactions that evoke further questions, misunderstandings and suspicions that follow visitors throughout their visit. It recognises social media as an introspective medium for making art, engaging with criticism, and supporting structural change.

Exhibition page

Exhibition map

Postwar Modern_Meme Plasma Takeover_Maps_PDF_V1.pdf