If you’re a certified museum lover, alternative-obsessed, or a combo of both, you need to add this new exhibit to your bucket list. Based in London, the Barbican Music Library is currently home to an exhibit that is examining the emo era from 2004-2009, aptly named “I’m Not Okay.” And oh yeah, did we mention that it’s free?
Per the City Of London Corporation, “The exhibition examines how this scene intertwined with internet fame and drama, with teens expressing their angst through confessional lyrics, tight jeans, and dyed black hair. ‘I’m Not Okay’ delves into how Emo became a positive force for acceptance, addressing issues of sexuality, mental health, gender, identity, and belonging. It was one of the first subcultures to bridge the physical and digital worlds, laying the groundwork for today’s digital youth quake led by TikTok and Instagram.”
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They add, “Featuring personal photos snapped on early digital and mid-00s phone cameras, content for this exhibition has been digitally unearthed by the Museum of Youth Culture from old hard drives and Photobucket accounts. ‘I’m Not Okay’ offers an unfiltered look at a moment when youth culture was cute, raw, vulnerable, and unapologetically different.”
The Barbican Music Library shares of the exhibit: “The exhibition highlights a pivotal era when bands like My Chemical Romance, Fall Out Boy, and Finch sparked a transatlantic exchange, fueling a distinct UK movement led by acts such as Funeral For A Friend. The ethos of emo resonated deeply with a generation, channeling collective teenage melancholy into a transatlantic subculture that thrived in cyberspace just as well as in the basement venues of grotty pubs. With one foot IRL and the other in MySpace, Emo wasn’t just a scene —it was the only way of living, the only way we could envision our futures.”
It is currently open from September 26, 2024-January 15, 2025. You can find out how and when you can visit the exhibit here.
