The Dikeou Collection is a contemporary art collection in downtown Denver across from the 16th and California lightrail station that showcases approximately 30 international artists. The collection opened a new exhibit called “Swap Meet: Artpace and the Dikeou Collection,” combining the regular Dikeou collection with work from the San-Antonio based Artpace on Thursday.

Curators Mary Heathcott, deputy director of San Antonio-based Artpace, and Devon Dikeou, the co-founder of the Denver-based Dikeou Collection collaborated to exchange art between the two galleries to bring a new dynamic to art pieces and artists featured in both collections.

“Mary brought a bunch of great art up here from Texas and it’s the first time the Dikeou Collection has changed, because it’s only ever expanded, so it’s very exciting for us,” said Dikeou.

Dikeou, who was an Artpace resident artist in 2011, explained that the Swap Meet exhibition started when Artpace asked her to feature pieces from the Dikeou Collection in their Hudson (Show)Room, and wondered how to fill the extra space in the Dikeou Collection, resulting in a sort of “swap.”

The Dikeou Collection now features works from “New Works Now,” showcasing pieces from former Artpace International Artists-in-Residence Alex de Leon, Katrina Moorhead, Katie Pell, Juan Miguel Ramos and Lordy Rodriguez, all of whom reflect on the underlying concept of identity and culture in unique ways. Their pieces are integrated into the regular Dikeou collection.

“Woods”
Katie Pell’s work “Woods” explore Pell’s teenage years through tree carvings of life-sized graphite and melted crayon rubbings made on muslin cloth, hanging from the ceiling to evoke the feeling of walking through a forest and remembering a childhood from long ago.

“It’s very intentionally hand-made looking, with ticking like a quilt, to evoke a sense of childhood memory,” said Heathcott.

“Small Drawings”
With his set of 100 10 by 14-inch pen-and-ink abstract drawings all on the wall, each one colorfully unique, Lordy Rodriguez took visual cues from pop culture and other areas of culture, including maps, wallpaper, wrapping paper and splash screens for TV programs like “Saved By the Bell” to challenge himself.

“Just A Few Beers”
Alex de Leon’s pieces combine the “macho” culture of Southern Texas with undertones of alcoholism and violence, according to Heathcott.

“[De Leon] has lived in San Antonio all his life and likes to take from the Latino culture, the calaveras and some of the images of the tough guy culture there,” said Heathcott.

One of his works, a large purple urn with a pattern of fizzing beer cans all over, drew its inspiration from the artist’s friend, who chugged 24 beers then was pulled over by a police officer. The piece is entitled, “Just A Few Beers.”

De Leon’s other pieces, three mosaics entitled “Our Guys, Their Guys,” depict whiskey bottles contrasted against smoking skulls and rifles, exploring ideas of war and humanity.

“Tabletop Blue Rainbow. to settle an argument”
Katrina Moorhead’s piece was created to settle an argument about whether or not she had witnessed an all-blue rainbow on a trip to Iceland.

“She was successful, and discovered that she may have encountered a ‘moonbow,’ which is similar to a rainbow but uses the moon,” said Heathcott.

Using a projection screen, “Iceland Feldspar”, a circular drawing on the wall and bones, Moorhead depicted a fundamental alchemic reconstruction of her blue rainbow.

“Yo Vendo Unos Ojos Negros”
Juan Miguel Ramos’ piece “Yo Vendo Unos Ojos Negros,” is a looped video segment of an animated couple dancing together to older-style Tejano music against a live-action 360-degree panorama shot in a street bar in San Antonio. The piece evokes nostalgia, with the young couple appearing comic-book style in an old bar, dancing to older music in a way their great-grandparents did, which, according to Heathcott, was the purpose of the piece.

“He talks about wanting to bring back old-school, big-brass Tejano music because this is not the Tejano music that you hear every day.” said Heathcott. “The song is from a much older generation, his grandparent’s parents’ would dance to this music and they would always dance in this style.”

The entire exhibit explores the concepts of memory and belonging while maintaining each artist’s personal voice and experiences interacting with different places and cultures.

Heathcott encourages interested students and art lovers to visit the Dikeou collection.

“It’s free, it’s very accessible with the location right in the middle of downtown, it features work from artists from all over world who are underrepresented in Denver and in many other areas,” said Heathcott.

Conveniently located for students interested in exploring artworks outside the DU area, The Dikeou Collection is found at 1615 California Street, Suite 515 in unimposing historical office building.

The “Swap Meet” exhibition at the Dikeou Collection is free and open to the public Wednesday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., running through Dec. 30.