We Made a Meme Museum

This idea was born during a FaceTime call with my best friend. We were both high.

Everybody has a different relationship with social media, ESPECIALLY Instagram. It’s common knowledge that multiple studies have linked Instagram to depression, body image concerns, self-esteem issues, social anxiety… but nobody is talking about Create Mode.

The Create Mode feature has easily become my all time favorite update on Instagram in the past 2 years. This feature allows you to write anything, and pastes it on top of a bright pink gradient background— easily allowing you to post your intrusive thoughts, jokes, and bits onto your story for 24 hours. It’s like a special preview into your mind! Some people are actually hilarious… but not enough people care about this feature!

One day, my best friend posted 20 Create Modes in a row. A mutual replied, “These should be in a Museum”. Thus born, The Meme Museum: an art exhibit filled with original Create Mode memes made by students just like you, and created completely by us.

I’m currently a Radio-Television-Film student at the University of Texas. I’ve worked on a number of student productions— and being on set is where I thrive. I love the energy, the mix of personalities, the ache that comes with completing a big project, and most of all… I genuinely love the student body I’m a part of. Nobody sees the people behind the camera. Yet, that’s where all of the memories and new connections are made! I find that people are more comfortable genuinely being themselves whenever it comes to making others laugh. Even if it’s a short glimpse, I think humor is where you can really see WHO a person is. This documentary is truly a passion project from the heart— I wanted to create a literal physical space for these creatives to authentically be themselves, befriend other cool strangers, party (because we’re still college kids), laugh together, and document it all to make history. Nothing has ever been done like this before at a University. And no, this was not for a class assignment.

After hours and hours of simply just organizing all the footage, it was so obvious to me that this film also needed to serve as a time capsule. Austin, Texas is right in the middle of some rapid and vapid change. I have never seen so much construction pop up in such a small amount of time. Massive high-rise apartment complexes are taking over my student living neighborhood by storm, making our University even more expensive, and less accessible. However, it’s still where I live and it’s the story I have to tell: How students find liberation from their mourning of youth through creativity, despite the deforestation happening in their living quarters.

In watching this, I want you to imagine who you’d like to be friends with. I hope you feel inspired to create whatever you want with no limitations. Or, at least, I hope you feel reminded of your college days with your artsy friends.