IMPAKT – Crit Club: Meme Debates

Lees in het Nederlands

From 18 May to 29 June, IMPAKT transforms into an arena for debates on art and memes. This format was developed by Cem A., known for his popular Instagram account @freeze_magazine, on which he shares satirical memes about the art world. Thanks to their seemingly light-hearted and viral nature, memes are particularly suited as ideological tools in online discussions. The exhibition Crit Club: Meme Debates uses competition, role-playing, and improvisation to disrupt established forms of debate and enable new, unexpected ways of discussing and clashing.

A recurring theme in the memes of @freeze_magazine is public debate within the art scene. Such debates, often in the form of panel discussions, frequently feature speakers who reinforce each other’s expertise or who are too aware of unspoken constraints around sensitive topics. Crit Club offers an alternative: a format in which speakers defend an unrealistic proposition and have to publicly disagree with each other. As opposed to online discussions—where social media algorithms push extreme viewpoints—Crit Club: Meme Debates uses virality in a constructive way to revive the artistic discourse.

Inspired by the spirit of sports, the format Crit Club uses competitive strategies to create an atmosphere of rivalry. Where physical strength and technique are central in sports, Crit Club: Meme Debates is all about rhetorical agility. During the live performances that are presented as a video installation in the exhibition, two teams debate unrealistic questions related to memes, institutions, and politics. As part of this, the speakers performatively defend one side of the argument while setting aside their personal opinions to freely explore new perspectives.  

Take a seat on the tribune in our arena and experience the debate as a mental sports match. Sharpen your own perspective and discover new angles through post-match interviews and rhetorical analysis in the exhibition. Can we train critical thinking like we train our muscles? And can rivalry help us reflect more sharply and imaginatively on digital cultures?