Modern memes bridge the gap from youngsters to traditional arts

What is ‘meme'?

The Cambridge dictionary defines meme as ‘a cultural feature or a type of behavior that is passed from one generation to another, without the influence of genes’. However, with Urban Dictionary, the concept of meme is understood as 'jokes that need to be a way of life for anyone who owns the technology. It gives laughter and joy to the viewers and expires after 2 days'.

A meme is easily identified since it usually consists of an image – usually taken from pop cultures, such as cartoons and viral videos – and a statement referring to relatable events or even something linked to any significant social, economic, and political news. Memes are most commonly transmitted over the Internet, particularly on social media, and their purpose is to entertain, giving rise to the phrase "meme culture."

The concept of online communities interacting through numerous Internet platforms is not new to Millennials and Generation Z. These generations are also aware that memes are going beyond their own demographics: older generations have also joined on the meme-sharing carousel. Older generations’ memes are widely used, as seen by their popularity on social media sites such as Facebook. Meme culture is now universal since any individual can create memes with varied target audiences, so people of all ages can create and enjoy memes.

When meme meets art

Materials for memes may be found in a variety of places. Recently, though, meme producers have turned to art, particularly paintings, as a fresh source of inspiration.

The Classical Art Memes website often focuses on utilizing artworks and then adding amusing dialogues. Classical Art Memes has almost 5 million followers on its Facebook page. Many of their posts rapidly became viral, initiating the notion of a 'classical meme.' Paintings by Renaissance painters with meticulously painted facial expressions and charisma are the most common ones.

The tendency of memes combining with arts is not new in Vietnam. Young people frequently employ paintings by well-known artists such as Mai Trung Thu for their viral posts. Highlands Coffee even created a marketing campaign utilizing the background of the late painter Mai Trung Thu's picture "Enjoying tea." Comedians Huynh Lap and Le Nhan played two sisters conversating, mocking each other using sensitive and irritating questions commonly asked in Tet holiday.

The reason why meme-makers choose these paintings as materials may be explained by the fact that they can fit well into different situations, either funny or tragic, allowing meme-creators to integrate multi-topic talks without feeling forced. It's also conceivable since the paintings' colors are highly vivid and harmonized, with a high aesthetic value.

A new way to deliver traditional art to the new generation

Memes may not stay long – most of them vanish within days – but the arguments they make can have a long-term impact on society and politics. In nations where memes are censored, they might have even greater importance when individuals use them in public discourse to deliver anti-corruption messages. But what if evil powers also use memes? Memes may be created by these forces to influence individuals and spread harmful beliefs. On another hand, if we can utilize the fast-spreading movements of memes on social media, we can consider it as a new way to deliver positive messages among communities sharing the same taste of humor.

Memes, as an art form, have remarkable adaptability in terms of style and intent. This is due to the fact that a meme might be an emotive photo or video, a captioned image, or words derived from the actual and/or virtual world. In their book "A New Literacies Sampler," internet academics Michele Knobel and Colin Lankshear believe that memes may be used for a variety of purposes, including social education, advertising, and activism.

Back to the circumstance in Vietnam, without the appearance of memes based on Mai Trung Thu's paintings, it would be difficult for young people to understand who Mai Trung Thu is and the legacy he has left for the country's art. As a result, meme culture is more than simply a particular form of comedy; it also serves as a bridge across cultural groups.