Cem A.: Meme-thinking, lecture

Each year, MGLC hosts an international art critic in collaboration with the Igor Zabel Association for Culture and Theory. In September 2025, Cem A. from Berlin, who works at the intersection of art and art criticism, is being hosted on a one-month residency at MGLC Švicarija. Known for running @freeze_magazine, an art meme page on Instagram, Cem A. employs humour and digital tools to challenge and reimagine the structures of the art world.

Meme-thinking, lecture, 17.00–18.00

In this lecture, Cem A. will trace his practice from the beginnings of @freeze_magazine to his current projects. He will reflect on memes, art criticism and digital culture, and discuss how his practice has evolved from memes into physical art spaces. He will also share insights from his recent writing on "consensus aesthetics," a term he is developing to describe the politics of agreement in contemporary art.

Cem A.'s work explores themes such as virality and performativity, often through collaborative projects. His selected solo exhibitions and interventions include the Barbican Centre, ZKM Karlsruhe, Berlinische Galerie, Louisiana Museum, Künstlerhaus Bethanien and Museum Wiesbaden. His work was also included in documenta fifteen, Istanbul Modern, Mudam Luxembourg, Klima Biennale Vienna, Temporary Gallery and 14th Biennial of Young Artists, Museum of Contemporary Art Skopje. He has held lectures at the Royal College of Art London, HEAD Geneva, KASK Ghent and Universität der Künste Berlin.

The lecture is open to the public. The lecture will be followed by a workshop with limited participation.

In collaboration with: Igor Zabel Association for Culture and Theory, SCCA-Ljubjana/World of Art, School for Curatorial Practices and Critical Writing

More: www.cem-a.com, www.instagram.com/freeze_magazine