Hope You See Me as a Friend by Cem A.

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.

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 follo visitors throughout their visit. It recognises social media as an introspective medium for making art, engaging with criticism, and supporting structural change.

Download exhibition map here.

Tagged with: Art & design Age of Many Posts Postwar Modern

This exhibition is organised as part of Abbas Zahedi’s Age of Many Posts project.
Artworks have been designed in collaboration with Liam Johnstone.
Holding image via @mileycyrus on Twitter.

This exhibition is free and will be viewable whenever the centre is open to the public. But please be aware that some areas of the centre may not be accessible at all times depending on what else in going on.

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Biography

Cem A. is an artist and curator with a background in anthropology. He is known for running the art meme page @freeze_magazine.He currently works for documenta fifteen as a curatorial assistant while independently exhibiting as an artist, giving lectures/workshops and publishing.

Since its inception in 2019, @freeze_magazine has become a tool for creative collaborations between Cem and fellow artists, researchers and organisations. His memes explore topics such as survival and alienation in the art world, often through a hyper-reflexive lens.It has been featured in the New York Times, The Art Newspaper and Monopol Magazin.