By Zoe Luczaj | NB Indy Arts Columnist
Who says museums have to be quiet? The Orange County Museum of Art’s 2025 Biennial opened on Saturday, June 21 with a roar.
OCMA kicked off their California Biennial, “Desperate, Scared, But Social” (titled after OC Riot Grrrl band Emily’s Sassy Lime’s album), with a spirited block party so loud it shook the grounds of Orange County.
The Linda Lindas, Emily’s Sassy Lime, Brontez, and Seth Bogart all took the stage, followed by a special guest appearance by Bikini Kill’s frontwoman Kathleen Hanna, who jumped in to light up “Rebel Girl” alongside the Linda Lindas.
OCMA’s unapologetic new biennial elucidates the inner worlds of California’s youth, spilling over with confessions, chaos, and search for self. “Desperate, Scared, But Social” encompasses all the weird, itchy feelings of youth and the strange, liberating pursuit of identity we seek to harbor.
Works from teens of the past and present are featured alongside recognized California artists, fostering an intergenerational dialogue and exploration through diverse mediums from paintings to film, and even to zines and records.
As soon as you enter, you’re met with piercings, pink, and a wall of young women staring at you. The biennial opens with a collection of street photography of female youth emanating punk and gothic subcultures, titled “What She Said” by Deanna Templeton. The collection is paired with a scrapbook-style archive of teenage journal entries from the ’80s, punk show flyers, photo clippings, and even Templeton’s will, which she opens by deciding who inherits her record collection.
“Desperate, Scared, But Social” continues to reminisce on the strangeness and empowerment of growing up. Haunting but eerily familiar images reimagined by Heesoo Kwon combine early childhood photography and artificial intelligence, reconstructing her Korean childhood home through the lens of nostalgia and blurred childhood perspective. The installation captures the ever-changing intersection of technology and memory, and how it has reshaped adolescence.
An exhibition about the youth would not be complete without their input. Through one of OCMA’s programs (Orange County Young Curators), high schoolers from across the country curated an exhibition titled “Piece of Me.” The Gen Z space struck me as something that authentically represented the generation. Traversing the digital age through the haze of nostalgia, all while establishing virtual identity, is already confusing enough for teenagers today. But “Piece of Me” made it fall into place.
Infamous femme California bands round out the Biennial with a storied history of rebellion and girlhood across generations. In a space dedicated to riot grrrl legends Emily’s Sassy Lime, the trio invites you to time-travel back to the ’90s, tracing their DIY roots through artwork, zines, and concert footage. Their legacy ripples through the next gallery, where their punk spirit is inherited by the next-level all-girl band The Linda Lindas. Their installation shines with youthful, hopeful, and daring energy, through handmade drawings, custom clothing, and music videos that feature the young band alongside a confirmation of their status as the next generation of trailblazing female voices.
The energy exchanged between these intergenerational bands and the crowd during the opening night concert was powerful to witness. It was a reminder that the drive to make noise, to connect, and to push back still holds strong across generations.
Young people have always needed outlets where they can scream, mope, and celebrate what it means to grow up in a world that doesn’t always make a whole lot of sense. “Desperate, Scared, But Social” doesn’t just honor those messy emotions, it gives them a space to be felt, shared, and reinforced into something louder, more courageous, and honest.
“Desperate, Scared, But Social” runs until January 4, 2026, at OCMA. Visit www.OCMA.art for more information.
