A new exhibition at the Museum of the Moving Image in New York organised by Jason Eppink, Associate Curator of Digital Media explores how cats have taken over the internet. If you haven’t noticed, “Cats “rule the Internet” this is an undisputed truism. Internet users have created and viewed millions of images and videos of cats, delighting in media that dwell on the cat’s many paradoxes: its independence and powerlessness, its curiosity and indifference, its human qualities and sheer inscrutability.
How Cats Took Over the Internet tells the history of cats online, examining phenomena like Caturday, lolcats, cat videos, celebrity cats, and more to unearth why images and videos of the feline kind have transfixed a generation of web users. Touching on concepts like anthropomorphism, the aesthetics of cuteness, the Bored at Work Network, and the rise of user-generated content, this exhibit takes a critical look at a deceptively frivolous phenomenon.
Museum of the Moving Image is the only museum in the US dedicated to the art, history, technique, and technology of the moving image in all its forms. The Museum is a one-of-a-kind destination for audiences of all ages and interests, from connoisseurs of classic cinema to children and families to avid gamers.
Embracing a wide range of subjects, from nineteenth century optical toys to the latest in digital art, the Museum explores every phase of the production, promotion, and exhibition of moving images. It offers an engaging, highly interactive core exhibition, programs of contemporary and classic films from around the world, discussions with leading figures in film and television, a unique collection, inspiring educational programs for learners of all ages, stimulating changing exhibitions, and groundbreaking online projects.
How Cats Took Over the Internet August 7, 2015–January 31, 2016 Video Screening Amphitheater and Gallery