WE

July 12, 2019close
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Nikki Pike, WE, 2019. Courtesy of the artist and Black Cube. Photo by From the Hip Phot. 
Nikki Pike, WE, 2019. Courtesy of the artist and Black Cube. Photo by From the Hip Phot. <2 of 4>
Nikki Pike, WE, 2019. Courtesy of the artist and Black Cube. Photo by From the Hip Phot. 
Nikki Pike, WE, 2019. Courtesy of the artist and Black Cube. Photo by From the Hip Phot. <3 of 4>
Nikki Pike, WE, 2019. Courtesy of the artist and Black Cube. Photo by From the Hip Phot. 
Nikki Pike, WE, 2019. Courtesy of the artist and Black Cube. Photo by From the Hip Phot. <4 of 4>

July 12 – September 11, 2019

Nikki Pike’s WE monument opened with a diverse series of live performances by cultural laborers in the community whom the artist felt were underrepresented. Following the performances, Pike installed a dimensional text-based sculpture on top of the plinth that read, “We the Privileged.” Located in the plaza of the Colorado Convention Center, this work was a part of a project called Temporary Monuments to Denver in partnership with The Denver Theatre District. 

WE

WE

Nikki Pike

WE is a temporary monument to Denver by artist Nikki Pike. The monument opens with a series of live performances by Colorado-based cultural laborers in the community. Following the inaugural performances, a sculpture will be installed on top of the plinth that reads “WE the Privileged.” The artwork references Robert Indiana’s widely recognized, text-based sculpture LOVE, as well as the Preamble to the United States Constitution. By changing “We the people” to “We the privileged,” the artist presents a moment for the public to ponder the power dynamics associated with traditional monuments. WE is the first of three artworks to be installed atop the concrete plinth, as part of a project called Temporary Monuments to Denver. 

Performers: Su Cho, Jasmine Dillavou, Gregg Deal, Sage Deal, Cliff Garrett, Martina Grbac, Dylan Scholinski, Sarah Scott, Bruce Price

Part of the wider MONUMENTAL exhibition, Temporary Monuments to Denver is a rotating, outdoor public artwork comprised of temporary monuments to the city of Denver by local artists. The project features three separate artworks by Nikki Pike, Noah Manos, and Jaime Carrejo. Located outside of the Colorado Convention Center, each artwork is sited atop a large-scale, concrete monument base. These rotating artworks are intended to stoke a wider public conversation regarding who is represented in monuments, Denver’s identity, and the role monuments play in this conversation from the perspective of artists living and working in Denver. Temporary Monuments to Denver is on view beginning July 12, 2019 through January 31, 2020. 

Temporary Monuments to Denver is a part of MONUMENTAL—a series of public, contemporary artworks and community engagement programs produced by Black Cube (a nomadic art museum) and the Denver Theatre District, funded in part by the Bonfils-Stanton Foundation and the David and Laura Merage Foundation.

Nikki Pike, WE, 2019. Courtesy of the artist and Black Cube. Photo by From the Hip Phot. 
Nikki Pike, WE, 2019. Courtesy of the artist and Black Cube. Photo by From the Hip Phot. 
Nikki Pike, WE, 2019. Courtesy of the artist and Black Cube. Photo by From the Hip Phot. 
Nikki Pike, WE, 2019. Courtesy of the artist and Black Cube. Photo by From the Hip Phot. 
Nikki Pike, WE, 2019. Courtesy of the artist and Black Cube. Photo by From the Hip Phot. 
Nikki Pike, WE, 2019. Courtesy of the artist and Black Cube. Photo by From the Hip Phot.