Updated Monday, July 20
Cats lovers, unite.
Next month, the Museum of the Moving Image, located at 36-01 35th Ave. in Astoria, will launch a five-month exhibition called How Cats Took Over the Internet, looking at how these furry felines have mesmerized a generation of online users with their quirky actions and adorable looks.
The exhibit, which runs from Aug. 7 through Jan. 31, 2016, will examine the history of the growing popularity of online cat-centric content while taking a look at things such as Caturday, lolcats, cat videos, celebrity cats and more.
“The Internet’s collective obsession with cats offers a window into the way we understand ourselves. This exhibition examines the many reasons for this deceptively frivolous phenomenon and highlights the new ways we’re creating, consuming and sharing culture,” said Jason Eppink, associate curator of digital media, who organized the exhibition.
How Cats Took Over the Internet will include a video screening at the museum’s amphitheater and features a gallery including a selection of Internet cat videos, GIFs and images that take a critical look at subjects such as anthropomorphism, the aesthetics of cuteness, the Bored at Work Network and the rise of user-generated content.
Together with the video screening, there will also be a selection of cat videos projected in a continuous loop, organized by Will Braden, curator of the Internet Cat Video Festival in Minneapolis.
There will also be a multimedia timeline capturing the significant moments of cats online, joined with a historical looks at the representation of cats in photos, film and other visual media.
The exhibition will also feature interactive stations where visitors will be able to create their own lolcats and contribute their favorite cat photos, GIFs and videos to the exhibition. There will also be a world map of international animal memes by The Civic Beat, a collective of researchers and writers focused on civic technology.
As part of the various live events that will occur throughout the five months, on Oct. 10 there will be The Cat-vant Garde Film Show in the Sumner M. Redstone Theater. This show will focus on how cats have inspired experimental films such as “Nightcats,” “Cat’s Cradle,” “Catfood,” “How to Draw a Cat,” and more. Other programs will be announced later on.
The Museum of the Moving Image is open Wednesday and Thursday from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday from 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. and on the weekends from 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.
For more information, visit www.movingimage.us.
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