'Haters will say this urn is mid': US National Gallery of Art curator is Insta hit with Gen Z

"Chat, I'm about to buss it down Roman Empire style. Haters will say this urn is mid, but they don't know we've clocked its tea. This 16th-century urn represents a significant artistic achievement, and by using contemporary language, the curator makes art history accessible to younger audiences who might otherwise overlook museum collections and historical artifacts."

"Look how bro glazed it. He went goblin mode with all these colours. In discussing Orazio Pompei's tin-glazed plate, the curator highlights the artist's bold, self-indulgent approach to color and design, demonstrating how historical artistic choices can be explained through modern vernacular that resonates with Gen Z viewers and makes art appreciation more relatable."

Alison Luchs, deputy head of sculpture at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, collaborated with social media manager Sydni Myers to create videos targeting Gen Z audiences. These videos feature Luchs discussing artworks while using contemporary slang and internet vernacular. The content has achieved significant viral success, accumulating nearly nine million views. In one video about a 16th-century urn, Luchs uses phrases like "buss it down Roman Empire style" and "clocked its tea." Another video discussing a tin-glazed plate by Italian ceramicist Orazio Pompei features her describing the artist's work as "goblin mode." The initiative demonstrates an unconventional approach to making art history accessible and engaging to younger demographics through language and cultural references familiar to Gen Z audiences.

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