Lost Gallery
Trudy Hoang
When you think of art, what do you think of? Many people think of the Mona Lisa or the Starry Night. Art is typically defined by Eurocentric movements, however, Europe wasn’t the only place in the world creating art. The non-western world is filled with art that is lost from history, its land, and our collective consciousness.
Lost Gallery is an interactive website where people can uncover and learn about art by people who are underrepresented in Western conversations about art history. It challenges the idea of what a gallery is and celebrates art that has been “lost.” Each page is titled with a question or statement that leads the experience of each activity. Participants can start by participating in a land acknowledgement that the website will perform for them. A link is generated to encourage the user to do their own research through Google on art that’s about and made by the Indigenous people whose land they are on. Participants can also interact with fun activities that feature curated art, such as old art from different cultures and contemporary art by artists of color. Through these activities, participants can question what they’ve been taught about art and expand their knowledge by opening up to new art and artists. Then, participants are encouraged to continue decolonizing their biases about art and visual culture through further learning. There is a one-page mini zine which participants can print out and use as a guide to critical thinking at any art museum.