From Nyan Cat to brainrot: memes have evolved alongside the internet and become an essential part of digital culture. What started as seemingly frivolous online humor now reaches far beyond funny images, influencing politics, finance and the way we communicate.
In this lecture, media scholar and digital culture researcher Dr. Lucie Chateau traces the origins and evolution of memes, from Web 1.0 to today’s world of GenAI, slop and brainrot. She explores what gives memes their wide appeal, how their aesthetics shape the digital zeitgeist, and how memes have grown into cultural forms with real societal impact.
Watch the lecture to discover how memes came to dominate our screens and why they matter.