The Dikeou Collection

I’ve attended a few of literary events at the Dikeou Collection over the last year or so and it’s always been a first-rate experience. In fact, I would argue that the Dikeou Collection beats out most literary venues in Denver, including any café/bar or even bookstore. The collection offers a unique background for readings: room after room of contemporary art; two ceiling-height pink inflatable bunnies, a Last Supper rendition made of chocolate syrup, the imagined interior of an apocalyptic whale. All of the artwork contributes to a high-minded, yet hip atmosphere in which the events are held. It also offers a great entry point into the world of contemporary art for the unfamiliar. The readings themselves are top-notch. Featuring an abundance of local talent from the greater Denver area, including professors and grad students from the University of Denver, UCD, Boulder, and Naropa. Standouts include Bin Ramke, Laird Hunt, Eleni Sikelianos, Noah Eli Gordon, Saleh Saterstrom, Math... Read more

On a recent visit to Denver, I found myself, yet again, in total awe of the Dikeou Collection. Since my last trip out West, the collection has grown and though I'm still completely wowed by Momoyo Torimitsu's larger-than-life-sized blow-up bunnies, a new installation by the New York-based artist Johannes VanDerBeek just blew me away. VanDerBeek created the work in 2008 and titled it 'Newspaper Ruined' (I understand from Jessica Hughes who runs the Dikeou and gives an excellent docent tour), that it was installed by the artist about a year ago. Through careful planning, cutting, pasting and collage techniques, VanDerBeek created a 3-D environment, a village if you will, that is reminiscent of a hallucinogenic frontier town where Indian tepees co-exist with structures that have a quintessentially American West vernacular: billboard signs, oil rigs, prairie houses. The work was recycled from a single newspaper and some passages where text and image are seamlessly combined give the wor... Read more

I visited the Dikeou Collection and was happily surprised. Not only is it a first rate contemporary art collection of International artists open to the public for free in Downtown Denver, but it is also a collection that gives room—literally rooms for the artists collected to breathe. Both these feats are rare accomplishments for private collections. In the Dikeou Collection, each artist is situated or paired in a series of old office suites. As invigorating as this is, what is more inspiring is the individual artist’s complete representation. Almost without exception the artists work is something extraordinary: extraordinary in the works realization—there’s lots of installation. Extraordinary in the work’s expression—comprehensive groupings of a single artist’s oeuvre in singular and multiple mediums—sound, video, photography, and drawing. Extraordinary in the fluency of representation—each artist’s vision is adhered to articulately. Plus the collection seems to be affiliated with z... Read more

Having been to a fair amount of shows at the Dikeou Collection, I find myself impressed with the variety of events hosted (as well as the works on display) in this nice, interesting space. In the past I've been especially fond of the more avant-garde music events, which often feature audience interaction--and with the layout of the space it's hard not to get involved. It's cool, though, because for me there's nothing quite like making music with a small group of colleagues while sitting in the shadow of two giant pink bunnies. Great for networking, great to walk around...I'll be checking the events listing here for some time.

Private contemporary art collection in downtown Denver features artists from around the world.