Fantasy Land

Two shows at Robischon realistically avoid reality.

Comments (0) By Michael Paglia Thursday, Mar 26 2009

Nicholas Kahn and Richard Selesnick, who work collaboratively as Kahn + Selesnick, have made a name for themselves by creating works meant to document phony historical events. Their current offering, Eisbergfreistadt, which roughly translates as “free floating iceberg,” is loosely based on an actual iceberg that struck a Baltic port in 1923. But instead of re-creating scenes of the catastrophe, the artists have produced images of preposterous things like a zeppelin/sled covered in paper money. The money reflects the financial crisis the German Weimar Republic faced in the 1920s as well as the one we’re confronting now. Supplementing this group will be pieces from the “Mars” series.

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Also at Robischon is Wes Hempel, which explores the Colorado artist’s unique approach to painting. Hempel blends the techniques of traditional representational art with conceptual underpinnings that are fully contemporary.

Both shows will be celebrated with a reception tonight from 6 to 8 p.m. at Robischon, 1740 Wazee Street. Other events associated with the shows include artist talks: Kahn + Selesnick will be at the gallery at 6:30 p.m. on April 10, while Hempel will speak at the Denver Art Museum on April 15 at 7 p.m. The Hempel presentation is part of the DAM’s Logan Lectures; for information on that series, call 720-913-0150 or log on to www.denverartmuseum.org. For information about the two shows, call 303-298-7788 or log on to www.robischongallery.com.
March 21-May 2, 2009