Inka Essenhigh in Disruption: Works from the Vicki and Kent Logan Collection: Denver Art Museum, Denver, CO

The Denver Art Museum (DAM) will present Disruption: Works from the Vicki and Kent Logan Collection, starting Jan. 16, 2022, through 2022. The presentation, curated by Laura F. Almeida, Curatorial Fellow for Modern & Contemporary Art at the DAM, will feature about 50 artworks including paintings, sculptures, photographs, mixed-media works, and several artworks never before displayed at the museum, the majority of which are drawn from the museum’s Vicki and Kent Logan collection and supplemented by a handful of works from the donors’ private collection. This outstanding collection features many works by noted North American and international contemporary artists including Kent Monkman, Yang Shaobin, Zhang Dali, Elmgreen and Dragset, Agustina Woodgate, Glenn Ligon and Jenny Saville. The exhibition is included in general museum admission, which is free for kids 18 and under as well as museum members every day.

“The amazing gift of more than 300 works that Vicki and Kent Logan started more than 20 years ago has helped turn the Denver Art Museum into a powerhouse of contemporary art in the west,” said Christoph Heinrich, Frederick and Jan Mayer Director of the Denver Art Museum. “Disruption draws contemporary stories and narratives from the museum’s collection that was built from this dynamic partnership with the Logans, and also adds four loans from their private collection.”

The exhibition was initially conceived through the lens of the spheres we navigate in our daily lives: the private, the public, the state, the inner space, the market and the imaginary. The works in Disruption question the past, the world today, and the social spaces we navigate—upending political narratives, questioning our rights of freedom and access, subverting notions of identity, contesting social norms, critiquing consumer culture and imagining dystopian alternate realities. These artworks interrupt expectations and unsettle conventions.

Each section is titled by referencing lyrics of former and current popular songs that address these themes throughout the exhibition:

• “I Need a Private World,” referencing “Private World” by the New York Dolls (1973) with works focused on disrupting societal norms and addressing the complexities of interpersonal relationships
• “Tell me, who’s watching?” from “Somebody’s Watching Me” by Rockwell (1984), puts a spotlight on military control, surveillance, technological reach into personal lives and power dynamics.
• “Fight the power,” from “Fight the Power” by Public Enemy (1989). Civic conflicts, issues of human and land rights and protests are central to this section.
• “Why can’t I be who I wanna be?” from “Hair” by Lady Gaga (2011), explores the concepts of identity and subjectivity.
• ‘Cause we are living in a material world,” from “Material Girl” by Madonna (1984), presents critiques of dominant economic systems, global trade, and inequality.
• “It’s the end of the world as we know it (and I feel fine),” from “It’s The End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)” by R.E.M. (1987), explores dystopian landscapes—both real and imagined—as well as post-apocalyptic society with significant injustices.

The museum will offer a playlist on Spotify of the songs that accompany the visitor experience in the gallery. An additional section of the exhibition will feature works on paper from the DAM’s Logan Collection, curated by adjunct curator Julie Augur.

“Disruptions embed themselves in a network and continuum spanning time, place, and culture. Working together with Senior Interpretive Specialist Ann Lambson and Senior Curatorial Assistant Caitlin Swindell, the team selected historical images and videos that offer greater opportunities for thematic connections across time,” said Laura Almeida. “We hope visitors will gain a deeper understanding of the ways in which artists challenge norms and push boundaries through disruptive actions.”

“Presenting these contemporary works within the frame of challenging stereotypes, norms and systems is a fascinating way for museum visitors to look at art as an agent for social change,” said Kent Logan. “Vicki and I hope these works will create opportunities for Denver Art Museum visitors to reflect on how the concepts of cultural or social norms, surveillance and consumerism show up in their own lives.”

Disruption: Works from the Vicki and Kent Logan Collection is organized by the Denver Art Museum. The exhibition is presented with the generous support of Vicki and Kent Logan. Additional funding is provided by the donors to the Annual Fund Leadership Campaign and the residents who support the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District (SCFD). Promotional support is provided by 5280 Magazine and CBS4. Exhibition design provided by Evan Cotgageorge of Denver-based ebc-d.

– Courtesy of the Denver Art Museum