Finally, after months of trying, the Repo Show's "curators"--three artists/pranksters who go by the collective name Fillistine--have found a home for their exhibit: the moribund Aftermath Gallery (928 12th Ave on Capitol Hill), which will close its doors permanently after the show ends.
Aftermath owner Diana Adams explained her decision to go ahead with the idea despite her reservations about putting on a show of stolen art: "I thought a lot of people wanted some closure to the whole ordeal and I figured it would be a fitting sendoff for my place." She adds, "I'm especially intrigued by the subjective and objective opinions as to what the art is 'worth' but also the issue of theft.… I invite anyone with an opinion to show up and discuss."
One of the ideas behind the show, Fillistine's members explained to The Stranger earlier this year ["The Art of the Steal," Erica C. Barnett and Nate Lippens, Feb 3], was to question the value of artworks priced so high they would never sell--like the $1,500 spray-painted Gold Hick (Diamond) by Dylan Neuwirth, the piece that got the whole idea started--and, conversely, to boost publicity for art that would otherwise never be seen.
The show also raises the question of why, if the stolen artworks were so valuable, not one gallery owner bothered to report their loss until last September, when a painting by Rich Lehl was stolen from the Center on Contemporary Art. Those who want to find out more should come to Aftermath this Friday, April 29, when things are supposed to get underway at around 7:30 p.m.
