New Ways of Creating and Experiencing the Arts
What is White Cube?
Imagine this: you ring the doorbell of a gallery, wait for the assistant (usually a young pretty white lady) to open the door, and step into a silent room where even breathing a little too loudly feels disrespectful. The walls are stark white, the lighting clinical, and the space hauntingly bare. You awkwardly navigate this space, pretending to grasp the deep philosophical message behind seemingly random paint strokes. Before leaving, you manage a polite smile at the assistant.
This to me, is the white cube—a space that claims neutrality but feels anything but. Often described as a pure and ideal setting for art, it is instead a carefully curated stage for cultural elitism, designed not for universal accessibility but to cater to a select few.
The Illusion of Neutrality
The white cube is meant to be neutral, but I can’t help but seeing it as a space that reinforces narratives rooted in capitalism and white, Western-centric ideologies. As Brian O’Doherty wrote in his book Inside the White Cube: The Ideology of the Gallery Space:
“Never was a space designed to accommodate the prejudices and enhance the self-image of the upper and middle classes so efficiently codified.”
In such a setting, art is less about creating an immersive or authentic experience for viewers and more about being commodified—a product that feels lifeless, detached, and packaged for objectified appreciation.
Artistic Rebellions and Their Absorption
There were works to rebel against the white cube space and the capitalism behind. Yves Klein’s exhibition The Void, which left the gallery completely empty, and Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s wrapping of the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago in 10,000 square feet of tarpaulin, are examples of artists testing the limits of institutional spaces.
Now these acts have been totally incorporated into art history and celebrated by the institutions. I think it maybe the white cube / capitalism’s greatest strength — to absorb and recommodify rebellions.
In recent decades, I’ve noticed mainstream galleries making efforts to feature more diverse voices and showcase art from various cultural backgrounds. Yet, instead of fostering true inclusivity, this often feels more like an exotic fetishization meant to appeal to wealthy, Western buyers. The artwork is stripped of its original context, its meaning reframed to fit the white cube narrative.
Colonization in Arts
When I talk about the White Cube, I’m talking about a way of viewing art through an elitist and capitalist lens—one that extends across all forms of art.
Take dance, for example. People often assume that performances belong in a “black box”—a proscenium stage. Among all dance forms, classical ballet is the most recognized and promoted, the one organizations are eager to showcase. Meanwhile, other vibrant and diverse styles, such as Afro-contemporary or jazz, remain underrepresented.
The white cube isn’t just a physical space—it’s a dominating voice. It silences countless other voices, forms, and beliefs, pushing them to the margins or, worse, commodifying them into the “white cube” framework. In doing so, these forms are stripped of their original community and authenticity, reduced to something distant and detached from their roots.
Thinking Outside of the White Cube
Thinking outside of the white cube means imagining spaces where art serves the people, not just the elite. It’s about breaking down walls—both literal and metaphorical—and asking how art can be reconnected to the communities and cultures from which it originates. For instance, consider the grassroots art initiatives in Indigenous communities, where storytelling, craft-making, and performance are shared in open spaces, surrounded by the land that inspires them. These are not just art forms; they are acts of preservation and resistance, keeping histories alive outside the colonial frameworks of museums and galleries.
To decolonize art, I believe is to restore its context, to return it to the hands of those who created it. Consider artists collaborating directly with local communities to present their work in ways that honor its origins, refusing the neutrality—or erasure—imposed by the white cube.
I do not know a perfect alternative to replace white cube, and since Brian O’Doherty wrote the book in 1970s, we will probably have another 50 years of White Cube as long as capitalism sustains the hierarchies it thrives upon. Whether we replace the white cube with a green cube, a red cube, or even a transparent cube, the structure will still serve to reinforce the status quo: a system that benefits the few and alienates the many.
But perhaps thinking outside the white cube isn’t about replacing it at all—it’s about rejecting the systems it represents. It’s about prioritizing authenticity over commodification, connection over isolation, and community over hierarchy. By doing so, we can begin to reimagine art as something that truly belongs to everyone—not just those who can afford to unlock its doors.
December 5, 2024
Yu Xie is an artist and poet whose work reflects on trauma, memory, and the feelings that connect us as humans. She studied Fine Art at the University of the Arts London, where she developed her voice through painting and writing. Yu has also been a content creator for Maylove, China’s largest sex education organization, driven by a desire to help girls protect and uplift themselves. She is currently studying Arts Management at Centennial College to grow as an arts administrator, combining her passion for creativity and advocacy to support more artists achieve their visions.
Reference:
O’Doherty, Brian. Inside the White Cube: The Ideology of the Gallery Space. University of California Press, 1999.