#Desert x mirage series#
#Desert x mirage free#

#Desert x mirage free#

The free biennial, which gained a following by staging large-scale, site-specific outdoor artworks across miles of California desert in 20, has been nothing if not contentious since the last Coachella Valley show. The organization accepted funding from the government of Saudi Arabia in early 2020 on “Desert X AlUla,” held in that country and featuring artists from the Middle East, Europe and the U.S. The partnership prompted several Desert X board members including artist Ed Ruscha to resign protesting the collaboration with a government responsible for human rights abuses and the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The city of Palm Springs declined to sponsor the new Desert X because of the “Desert X AlUla” partnership.

#Desert x mirage series#

In January it authorized $30,000 for Christopher Myers’ Desert X work “Altanviro and Loper,” a series of sculptural installations with steel horses along East Tahquitz Canyon Way. The work addresses “the truths that exist in the slippage between history and mythology,” according to the artist statement, as it tells a fictional story of two ranchers, one Mexican and one African American. The city later reversed its position, offering to fund the work only if it could work directly with the artist. “They made the motion and the vote without reaching out to Desert X,” said the biennial’s executive director, Jenny Gil. “After the meeting, we said: ‘We’re very thankful for the support, but this is a Desert X project. This is not how it works.I’m making travel plans now to leave Manhattan once winter arrives. One of the places that beckons is Southern California’s Coachella Valley, the desert resort area that lures international snow birds drawn by its natural beauty, year-round sun, golf courses, tennis facilities, spas, hiking, gambling, and vibrant nightlife. The Coachella Valley (locals simply call it “The Valley”) is a string of nine desert towns - the best-known Palm Springs, as well as Desert Hot Springs, Cathedral City, Rancho Mirage, Palm Desert, Indian Wells, La Quinta, Indio, and Coachella.Ī mere two-hour drive from Los Angeles and San Diego, Palm Springs is surrounded by the dramatic peaks of the Santa Rosa, San Jacinto, and Little San Bernardino Mountains. The Uptown Design District of Palm Springs offers tempting shopping, dining, and cultural events.

I last visited Palm Springs for a very exciting Coachella Valley event: the inaugural Desert X, a biannual exhibition of indoor and outdoor art installations by global artists. The ambitious project included more than 15-site specific works focused on global and local environmental, social, and cultural issues, curated by Artistic Director Neville Wakefield. The free exhibitions sprawled across some 45 miles of the Coachella Valley, from the San Bernardino Mountains to the Salton Sea. In two days, I managed to see only three of the works - but they were knockouts! DESERT X MIRAGE HOUSE FREE

Timed to coincide with the annual Coachella Music Festival, which draws tens of thousands of revelers to the desert every spring, Desert X debuted in February and was on view through April. One of the most popular Desert X installations was Doug Aitken’s mirrored house, Mirage.