After two and a half months of hard work and preparation, the Chinese Meme Museum was finally brought online on June 14th. Being different from traditional museums, the Chinese Meme Museum is in VRChat, a free VR interactive multiplayer platform, free for everyone in the world to visit, with or without VR equipment.
The Chinese Meme Museum, as its name suggests, is an archive of the most popular Chinese internet memes since 2000. Up till now, the online museum has attracted significant attention upon its launch. To accommodate the visitors, it now has 75 instances (mirrored servers) and is available in different regions, including Japan and USA.
Superpixel had a talk with Si’Ji, the creator of the museum, about his brilliant idea, thoughts, and takeaways from the fascinating project.
Where it all Begins
Superpixel: It’s good to have you here, Si’Ji. Let’s talk about the Chinese Meme Museum. How did that idea come to you? Have you been planning to do such a thing for a long time, or was it just an act of impulse?
Si’Ji: Rather than describing the project as well-planned, I would say it’s more of a well-executed lucky shot. During the Shanghai pandemic strike, there was not much to do at home, which inadvertently gave me plenty of time to think. The idea of a “meme museum” randomly occurred to me one day, and I thought it would be fun. I did it as a joke at first, but with my friends’ help, it soon became a serious project.
An ancient Chinese vine: “Dude, I’m not eating noodles. I’m eating loneliness.”
Superpixel: What concrete expectations, or goals, did you have when you first conceived of this project?
Si’Ji: I actually went big from Day One. My initial expectation for the Chinese Meme Museum was to cause a circle-breaking influence in the first place. I had a relatively deep understanding of the VRChat platform, and I had also researched various concepts and applications of the Metaverse. On this basis, I was eager to express some of my personal views on the future of The Metaverse with the help of such a project. Under such a premise, bringing the Chinese Meme Museum project to life would be hitting two birds with one stone, as the project itself would be a perfect reflection of my expectations for the future evolution of the Metaverse. The Metaverse should be not just commercialization and hype but an open-minded, open-sourced, and free space of sharing and knowledge. In my opinion, the sole idea and action of exhibiting internet-based memes in VRChat is a fantastic practical use of the Metaverse.
Jack Ma's “I have no interest in money” meme
Pen Pineapple Apple Pen, a popular earworm that made the rounds on the Chinese internet in 2016
Superpixel: It seems you have quite a lot of insights regarding the Metaverse. Would you mind sharing them? Also, in your opinion, what’s the relationship between VR and the Metaverse?
Si’Ji: The Metaverse is a topic I am especially keen on. I have been paying close attention to the trending Metaverse-related industries, but to be honest, I am a little disappointed. I’ve seen lots of NFTs and blockchains – indeed, they are part of the general “Metaverse” concept – but I would like to see more. Much more.
In my vision, the Metaverse has many characters. I’m not saying that commercialized “Metaverse products” should not be tolerated – in fact, they should be and will be an essential part of the future. On the other hand, what I’m doing is I’m trying to deliver something else through my project. The Chinese Meme Museum can be seen as another character of the Metaverse, which is a place to freely share and inspire.
That’s where VR comes in. VRChat is a free and expandable platform for international users freely to communicate and learn. Also, the concept of VR provides a virtual space, which meets my vision of the future way of communication. I am not saying that VR should be the ultimate solution for the Metaverse, but I do believe it is one of the best solutions we have at this time.
A famous living room from an educational short movie
Superpixel: Would you say the Chinese Meme Museum reached your expectation for it or exceeded your expectation?
Si’Ji: I would say it has mostly matched my expectation. I’ve monitored the back-end data. The visitor count indicates that this project has already made a somewhat big impact in China.
Nijigen (Two-dimensional space) Anime Meme Exhibition Hall
Cutouts and displays featuring many characters and scenes from the Nijigen world
Superpixel: Do you have a future roadmap for the Chinese Meme Museum? Any expansions or updates?
Si’Ji: Speaking of the future, it’s really hard to say. Memes have a natural self-evolution and generation, so it will require a large amount of time to track every trending meme. With the current non-profitable and voluntary-based operation mode, I don’t see the potential or capability to keep the museum up to date. However, I am actively looking for solutions and also open to all advice. The ultimate goal of this museum is to inspire and enlighten.
There is music and you can hop right into IconX’s Tough Guy Cover
Superpixel: The language barrier is well-known as a problem for memes’ propagation, and localization will eventually become inevitable for the Chinese Meme Museum. That being said, will there be any localization plan to favor international Chinese culture lovers?
Si’Ji: That would be absolutely ideal. Nevertheless, there are many problems we need to deal with first; the main impediment would be the massive workload. As you know, I have a day job, which means I am unable to invest numerous hours into the localization project. In addition, memes are different from ordinary literature or film and television works, which means the normal standards for translators will vary. Translators suitable for this project will have to possess a native-level understanding of both Chinese and Western culture. In short, the vision is definitely intriguing, but the progress will be tough. For now, I will be focusing on finalizing and maintaining the existing content. If the localization plan truly lands in the future, I will keep everyone updated ASAP.
This is no simple museum; much care has gone into the exhibits
Nether portals are only one of the cleverly implemented features to explore
Superpixel: After everything, why the Free-to-Play Mode? After our conversations about all the possible future plans, will you consider donations and/or any kind of payment as a method to maintain operation and updates?
Si’Ji: Actually, no. As I have mentioned, I want this museum to be a space to share and inspire. I do want my project to make an impact, but commercial activity is never part of the plan. Let’s say, even if the Chinese Meme Museum does raise a certain level of attention and is evaluated by a third party as a commercial project, the possible commercialization campaign will not be my concern.
Many of the local Chinese memes are influenced by international ones: This features “The Roxbury Guys” clip from Saturday Night Live
Superpixel: It doesn’t necessarily need to be profitable. Your project can still stand non-profitable, while all the income will be invested into the further improvement of the Chinese Meme Museum. Would you be interested in such an operation mode?
Si’Ji: To be honest, that does sound a lot more attractive. I will think about it, but I’m sure there needs to be a lot of trivia involved, so no promises at this very moment.
The creators behind this impressive project
“Pixi-Chan” is a modified version of “Usasaki” character by Kameyama. Purchase the original model at: booth.pm