404 Not Found is a reconstruction of an exhibition, where unassuming elements are replaced in a typical gallery space. For instance, “No flash photography” is replaced by “No Instagram”; the line that suggests “Don’t get too close to the artworks” is replaced by a loading bar; and the artist’s name is replaced by an anonymous code.
What is high-art and what is low-art? What happens when these distinctions are switched? What happens when traditional western oil paintings meet eastern contemporary fan art? What is copyright? Why do people go to museums nowadays? For art? For photos? For Instagram posts? For “likes”? Nowadays, people attend galleries and museums not for appreciating art but for taking photos of themselves near artworks—to show they can appreciate high art and are more privileged than others.
They post these photos on social media, and as more and more people contribute, the definition and the function of an exhibition is changed. Ownership and copyright are lost in the process of transferring.
The works move into a nebulous public sphere.
