Social satire

Social satire

London – Artist Cory Arcangel’s latest exhibition Currentmood satirises the visual language of social media.

FN Slides / Lakes 2016 by Cory Arcangel at Lisson Gallery, UK FN Slides / Lakes 2016 by Cory Arcangel at Lisson Gallery, UK
Russell's #3 / Lakes 2016 by Cory Arcangel at Lisson Gallery, UK Russell's #3 / Lakes 2016 by Cory Arcangel at Lisson Gallery, UK
Ibiza / Lakes 2016 by Cory Arcangel at Lisson Gallery, UK Ibiza / Lakes 2016 by Cory Arcangel at Lisson Gallery, UK

London – Artist Cory Arcangel’s latest exhibition Currentmood satirises the visual language of social media.

  • The show includes media from a broad range of sources, from low-resolution screen shots to scans of Ibiza flyers
  • Arcangel’s work will also be disseminated as promoted content in advertising spots across the internet

Arcangel’s practice is based around using art as a means of critically investigating web culture and internet language. The exhibition, at London’s Lisson Gallery, was inspired by the American artist’s habit of using social media to document his own browsing habits using the hashtag #currentmood. The show includes media drawn from an esoteric range of sources, including scans of Ibiza flyers, default Photoshop image effects, commercial and mobile phone photography and low-resolution screen shots. It also features emulations and reprints of earlier works by the artist.

The exhibition also exists online thanks to an accompanying advertising campaign that will be dispersed across the internet as promoted content. Arcangel’s decision to display the same works in real life in a gallery context and universally disseminated as clickbait is part of his continuing exploration of open-source culture democratiastion through technology.

What this means for your brand

Memes have a serious side, too. As the visual language of social media becomes more pervasive, artists such as Cory Arcangel and Ian Cheng are using its tropes as a means for critical investigations of contemporary culture. See our Gen Viz macrotrend for more.

Discover More Daily Signals
The Future Laboratory launches 2026 events calendar

Daily Signals

The Future Laboratory launches 2026 events calendar

The 2026 events calendar is here. Don’t just follow the future – get ahead of it. Join The Future Laboratory in 2026 for a programme of inspiring p...
The Future Laboratory : Events : Calendar
How diet sodas fell out of fashion

Daily Signals

How diet sodas fell out of fashion

Consumers are turning their backs on diet drinks, with zero sugar emerging as the preferred signifier of healthier indulgence.
Drink : Health : Food Retail
Stat: Alcohol abstinence in England rises as sober-curious lifestyles gain traction

Daily Signals

Stat: Alcohol abstinence in England rises as sober-curious lifestyles gain traction

Almost a quarter of adults in England (24%) now abstain from alcohol, marking a notable rise from previous years when non-drinkers consistently acc...
Drink : Stat : Statistics
How forpeople used bio-electrical tree data to shape Tree Aid’s rebranding

Daily Signals

How forpeople used bio-electrical tree data to shape Tree Aid’s rebranding

London-based creative studio forpeople has unveiled a pro bono rebranding for international development charity Tree Aid, placing living systems at...
Design : Nature : Technology
Bara brings Welsh flavours to South London

Daily Signals

Bara brings Welsh flavours to South London

Bara is London’s first café dedicated to Welsh cuisine, opening in February 2026 in Peckham, southeast London.
Food : Hospitality : Cuisine
Stat: Silent mental health crisis among women over 50

Daily Signals

Stat: Silent mental health crisis among women over 50

Almost two in three women over 50 in the UK struggle with their mental health, yet nearly nine in 10 do not seek help, according to new research co...
Generation X : Women's Health : Mental Health
Childline gamifies digital pressure to prompt reflection among teens

Daily Signals

Childline gamifies digital pressure to prompt reflection among teens

British counselling service Childline has launched a new campaign, Race to a Milli, designed to raise awareness of the pressures of online life for...
Technology : Health : Wellness
The Holiday & Travel Show 2026: Why experience-led staycations are defining the future of travel

Daily Signals

The Holiday & Travel Show 2026: Why experience-led staycations are defining the future of travel

Destinations: The Holiday & Travel Show returned to Olympia London as a key barometer for the future of tourism, bringing together 600 travel b...
Travel : Hospitality : Staycations
Stat: Gen Z’s screen time isn’t slowing down

Daily Signals

Stat: Gen Z’s screen time isn’t slowing down

Despite growing cultural narratives about going offline, Gen Z’s screen time in the US is still accelerating.
Technology : Gen Z : Statistic
Fred Again builds emotional aftercare into live shows

Daily Signals

Fred Again builds emotional aftercare into live shows

British musician and producer Fred Again is rethinking post-concert care. In a recent Instagram post, the musician reflected on the abrupt ending o...
Live Music : Hospitality : Social Wellness
You have 2 free Daily Signals remaining. Sign up to LS:N Global to get unlimited access to all articles.
BECOME A MEMBER
SIGN IN