Palm Springs – The biennial outdoor art festival returns with a series of conceptual installations set in the Coachella Valley.
Spanning 50 miles across the desert, the second iteration of Desert X brings together 19 artists. Their work explores ‘a range of ecological, environmental and social issues that have been driving conversations about our role in the Anthropocene’, according to Neville Wakefield, artistic director of Desert X. This year’s site-specific projects include a broader range of media with an emphasis on interactive, simulated and digital elements.
Highlights include Nancy Baker Cahill’s augmented reality artworks, which reflect on man-made phenomena and can only be viewed through a smartphone app, and John Gerrard’s computer-generated simulation of a smoking flag, projected using LED lights. Sterling Ruby’s fluorescent monolith, meanwhile, suggests something removed or erased from the landscape. By engaging visitors with spectacular, thought-provoking viewing experiences, these works are intended to offer unexpected perspectives on sociopolitical topics. For more, explore Experience 2020.