Institute for Art and Architecture
Otto Wagner
Lecture 2026
Legacy Russell
BLACK MEME
23 March 2026
7 pm
EG Nord Atelierhaus
Lehárgasse 8 1060 Vienna
A...kademie der bildenden Künste Wien
Institute for Art and
Architecture
B L A C K M E M E
BLACK MEME explores the construct, culture, and material of the »meme« as mapped to Black visual culture from 1900 to present day. Using archival media Russell explores the impact of blackness, Black life, and Black social death on contemporary conceptions of virality borne in the age of the Internet. Offering insight into Russell’s ongoing research and work, this lecture will touch on some of the subjects within her book BLACK MEM E : A History of Images that Make Us (Verso, 2024).