Metaphormaxxing: A Mapping Game

What meaning do we assign to images on the internet? And to what extent do we identify with them?

In the offline world, our physical traits generally influence how people perceive us. The online sphere offers more flexibility in how we can express our identity. Photography, emojis, stickers, GIFs, and memes have become a language of their own, helping us express emotions, ideas, and how we see ourselves. Through digital self-expression, we can also share various experiences of gender. In the past years, this has increasingly been based on more traditional gender norms. We recognize this in the rise of terms such as girlboss, tradwife or sigma male. 

These shifts have also impacted the images we use to express ourselves online. We use images to communicate and convey meaning, but how are these images interpreted by others? Do we truly understand each other? The Hmm, in collaboration with Foam, has created an online mapping game and a physical installation to explore this: Metaphormaxxing. The title refers to how online images are used as a metaphor for ourselves. The Hmm and Foam invite you to examine the collective meanings we assign to images. Do we share similar interpretations of these images, or do we associate completely different meanings with them?

Five different contributors have created their own maps based on a gender-related sub-theme of their choice, selecting images from their own digital environments. Every three weeks a new guest contributor’s map will be showcased in the exhibition space at Foam. On the interactive map in the center of the wall, you can move the images yourself, sharing your interpretation of what you see, and even placing yourself on the map. Online, you can create your own map entirely, browse the contributor maps, and compare them with other visitor-made maps. 

The digital tool Metaphormaxxing: A Mapping Game was created and developed by The Hmm in collaboration with Foam. The tool is available online starting January 23rd. You can also experience its physical manifestation at Foam throughout the duration of the exhibition. 

This presentation is made possible by the generous support of Cultuurloket DigitALL.

🕗 Opening: 23 January 2025, 18.30 – 21.00 CET (register here)
📅 Exhibition duration: January 23 – May 11, 2025
📍 Locations: Foam Photography Museum and online