A new rooftop exhibition, You and your vim, at the Aspen Art Museum features Lena Henke’s towering bronze outline of a woman, a vibrant red sculpture that visitors can push into motion like a wandering compass needle. Set against the alpine backdrop, the work continues Henke’s long-standing exploration of how bodies relate to their environments, drawing on her interests in landscape, urban detritus, and equestrian imagery. Her playful heroine, adapted from a drawing by Tomi Ungerer, becomes both an art historical echo and an avatar for the artist, inviting the public to activate the piece as its stilettoed foot hovers just above the ground.
Surrounding the sculpture, four new Combustions (2023)—oil on laser-etched leather—hang from the rooftop architecture like cardinal points, their images of latex-wrapped feet straining against their surfaces. Referencing Alberto Burri’s Combustione, these works probe desire, dominance, and submission while evoking trail map stands that aid in navigating nature. An expansive mirror at the terrace edge catches visitors’ legs and redirects their gaze inward, disrupting the panoramic mountain view. Together, these elements form a restless orbit, as the exhibition’s title poses a lingering question about energy, agency, and momentum.
