The Media Majlis Museum at Northwestern University has opened its 10th exhibition, Memememememe.
The exhibition offers an interactive exploration of how internet memes shape, influence, and reflect contemporary society.
Curated by Jack Thomas Taylor, curator of art, media, and technology at the Museum, and Assistant Curator Amal Zeyad Ali, the exhibition moves beyond surface-level humor to examine memes as powerful cultural barometers shaping collective consciousness. Framed through four conceptual measures: Mass, Length, Time, and Volume, Memememememe invites visitors to consider how memes spread, mutate, and influence our shared digital reality.
“The opening of every exhibition is an exciting moment, and this one was no different. It was a great experience welcoming people from across the community and seeing visitors actively engaging with the exhibition,”
said Marwan M. Kraidy, dean and CEO of Northwestern Qatar.
“What struck me most was the diversity of engagement; students, creatives, scholars, and professionals all connecting with the work in different ways. It showed how something as seemingly simple as a meme can open up rich conversations about culture, communication, and the digital world we all navigate. That kind of critical engagement is at the heart of NU-Q’s mission, and the Media Majlis Museum is a fully integrated component.”
The scenography, unveiled to attendees on opening day, is designed by Shepherd Studio, an award-winning multi-disciplinary design and architecture practice based in Bahrain. The studio transformed the museum space into a laundromat-inspired metaphor for the endless cycle of meme circulation, reflecting the ongoing churn of digital communication.
The exhibition features works from both established and emerging artists across Qatar, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, and beyond. The opening also debuted seven newly commissioned works from Alia Leonardi, Anne Horel, Cem A., Eman Makki, Mauro C. Martinez, Orkhan Mammadov, and Seo Hyojung, each offering critical reflections on digital memory, collective identity, and online dissent.
Reflecting on the exhibition’s significance, curator Taylor noted:
“This exhibition examines memes not as mere entertainment, but as inheritors of traditional visual communication tactics that serve as both mass media and cultural critique. The provocative imagery and symbolic gestures that have always captured attention continue to do so, only now through the Internet—proving that visual communication strategies remain consistent even as mediums evolve. Yet while we obsessively measure our digital lives, memes resist quantification even as they shape collective consciousness. Rather than presenting a gallery of memes, we offer critical analysis of how these fluid, anonymous artifacts function as societal barometers—crossing borders and generations while remaining deeply nuanced.”
Alfredo Cramerotti, director of the Media Majlis Museum, added:
“This exhibition zooms in on a communication device we all use daily yet rarely stop to interrogate. Through design, scenography, and newly commissioned works, Memememememe invites us to reflect on the true cultural weight and influence of memes—those seemingly trivial fragments that profoundly shape how we perceive and navigate our world.”
Memememememe – December 4th, 2025, mediamajlis.northwestern.edu
As the first university museum dedicated to exploring journalism, communication, and media in the Arab world, the Media Majlis Museum continues to create immersive experiences that challenge conventional narratives.
About the Curators
Jack Thomas Taylor (b. 1991, United Kingdom) joined the Media Majlis Museum in 2017 as one of the founding curators and has worked extensively across multiple areas of the organization since its inception. Since 2009, he has held various positions in the arts, culture, and creative domains in Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Dubai, and Qatar across exhibitions, branding, visual arts, programming, and publishing.
Taylor has consulted a variety of organizations on cultural and creative strategy and contributed to notable projects, including the countrywide experience for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™. As an experienced curator and producer of ideas, he has worked in diverse and Agile work environments, managing exhibitions and media products from concept through to delivery.
Taylor has wide-ranging experience in creative services, including with BOND Creative Agency as a studio manager, strategist, and producer (Abu Dhabi) and as an independent consultant with brand experience agency Imagination. In addition, he has held editorial positions at Alef (which he founded in 2014) and Brownbook. Taylor has also written for the likes of Canvas, Harper’s Bazaar, LS:N Global, Sotheby’s, Time Out, and Vision. In 2023, Taylor became a founding board member of the inaugural International Council of Museums (ICOM) national committee in Qatar.
Amal Zeyad Ali serves as Assistant Curator at the Media Majlis Museum at Northwestern University in Qatar. Her duties have encompassed roles as Programs Associate and Curatorial Exhibition Manager at the Museum. In 2024, she curated her inaugural exhibition at the Museum, entitled The limits of my language are the limits of my world, which explored the multifaceted nature of the Arabic language. As Programs Associate, she also contributed to the launch of the Museum’s initial programs in 2019 as part of the inaugural exhibition Arab identities, images in film. Prior to joining the Media Majlis Museum, Ali held the position of Exhibitions Coordinator at the Fire Station Artist in Residence, a Qatar Museums Creative Hub. Furthermore, she served as the Associate Curator for the exhibition Majaz: Contemporary Art Qatar, showcasing the multidisciplinary work of over 30 local artists in 2022. Ali is a 2018 graduate of Northwestern University in Qatar, earning a Bachelor of Science in Communication. Her curatorial approach is grounded in a spirit of curiosity and inclusive perspectives, enabling the unpacking of question-led themes and idea-based concepts through local, regional, and international lenses.
About the Media Majlis Museum
The Media Majlis Museum at Northwestern University in Qatar is the first university museum in the Arab world dedicated to exploring journalism, communication, and media. Through engaging exhibitions, publications, programs, and online resources, the Museum creates immersive experiences that challenge conventional narratives and present diverse perspectives on global, regional, and local stories.
Since its opening in Spring 2019, it has transcended the traditional role of a museum, fostering intellectual exploration, promoting open dialogue, and inspiring innovation at the intersection of art, communication, and technology. In 2022, it became the first Museum in the Middle East to be accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, achieving this prestigious distinction.
The Museum has become a vital platform for discussing timely issues, with exhibitions addressing topics such as Arab culture, language, and identity, as well as the impact of current technology on media, journalism, and newsrooms. The Museum plays a central role in Northwestern Qatar’s mission to foster critical thinking and academic excellence. It emphasizes digital narratives and interactive engagement, providing a space where media professionals, academics, and artists can connect and collaborate.
The Museum maintains a global outlook, forming partnerships with institutions, experts, and technologists worldwide while spotlighting perspectives from the Global South. By integrating the expertise of faculty and students, the Museum serves as a key resource for both academic and public audiences, bridging curricular and extracurricular activities.
Through its innovative and forward-looking approach, the Media Majlis Museum invites visitors to explore pressing issues at the intersection of media, communication, art, and technology, reinforcing its position as a next-generation museum.
