Black Cube “Prospector” Pop Up Reception

The Dikeou Pop Up Colfax is partnering with Black Cube (a nomadic contemporary art museum) on a reception in celebration of Chad Person’s “Prospector” Pop Up .

Prospector (working title) is Black Cube’s 2nd pop up exhibition, which features a monumental inflatable sculpture by Black Cube artist fellow, Chad Person. This pop up exhibition can be found in the parking lot in downtown Denver on Grant Street, across from the Colorado State Capital. Person’s installation was designed specifically for this landmark space and will open to the public on October 23rd.

Prospector is the artist’s first major outdoor sculpture in Denver. The 12-meter sculpture is a monochromatic blue inflatable of the Disney Toy Story 2 prospector, Stinky Pete. For Person, the character draws many references from Denver — from its gold mining history, to the speculation of current tech and real estate booms, and even the connection with the era of digital commerce.

A monument to hope, a beacon of progress, and a harbinger of the fragility of economic upturns, Prospector’s proud stance echoes the confidence necessary to weather the risk inherent to creation. The character itself echoes the rich histories of westward expansion, manifest destiny, technology, and the classic story of the American entrepreneurial spirit. In this work, Person is likening the historic miner character to the modern digital entrepreneur like the artist himself, wielding keyboards, 3D printers, and engineering skills.

This work has been conceived and produced specifically for this pop up exhibition and has never been seen before. Its placement, next to the newly refurbished gold dome on the Colorado State Capital, calls out Denver’s history, but the inflatable also harkens to the inflatables used in outdoor commercial lots to attract customers to car or hot tub sales. This tension in the historic content of the work and the cheap, commercial, and temporary inflatable form are the tensions that make this work important to current discourse about the economy and values of society.

Free and open to the public
Open hours for this installation: Monday, Wednesday, + Fridays 10am-4pm

More info: http://www.blackcubeart.org/exhibition/prospector