The California desert comes alive with groundbreaking installations at Desert X, featuring metallic mirrors, massive marble boulders, and 3D-printed adobe structures. The festival, running through May 11, challenges perceptions of truth, politics, and sustainability in art.
A striking array of artworks, including mysterious metallic mirrors, towering marble boulders, and a 3D-printed mud hut, emerged in the California desert this Saturday, marking the return of the biennial Desert X outdoor art festival. This free event, which drew 600,000 visitors during its last edition, invites contemporary art enthusiasts to embark on a treasure hunt across the Coachella Valley, located about 100 miles (160 kilometers) east of Los Angeles.
One of the standout works at this year’s event is by French-American artist Sarah Meyohas, who has created a series of intricately curved metallic mirrors that harness the desert sunlight. These mirrors reflect and refract beams of light, which are then used to project the words “Truth Arrives in Slanted Beams” across a 400-foot (120-meter) stucco ribbon. Meyohas explained that truth is a key theme in today’s world, and she strives to create art that is transparent and honest. “Truth is definitely something that's at stake in today's world,” she said. “And I try to make art that is not tricking anybody. This isn't a trick. This is the light. And this is true.” She employs ‘caustic’ technology that mimics the way light behaves at the bottom of a swimming pool, transforming sunlight into text. Her piece is a reflection on the division in today’s political climate, as she sees the work as a response to the fractured world we live in.
About 20 miles further into the desert, Mexican artist Jose Davila has created a striking installation with colossal 16-ton marble boulders, quarried from the Chihuahua Desert in his native Mexico. The work, titled The Act of Being Together, is arranged in a manner that evokes the grandeur of megalithic structures like Stonehenge. Davila’s installation speaks to the current political landscape, particularly the escalating tensions between the US and Mexico, with recent tariff hikes on both sides of the border. “Rocks like these remind us that things are here to stay, and these inconveniences come and go,” he said, alluding to the temporality of political struggles in the face of enduring symbols like the boulders.
Despite the significance of the work, organizing Desert X in the context of heightened border tensions proved to be a challenge. Yet, Desert X remains committed to showcasing international artists, many of whom source materials and ideas from Mexico to craft installations specific to the desert landscape of North America.
Another eye-catching piece is Ronald Rael’s Adobe Oasis, which features walls 3D-printed using a robotic arm and a mixture of clay and straw, echoing traditional adobe construction. Rael, an advocate for the ancient building material, pointed out that it deserves renewed attention in light of the destructive fires that ravaged Los Angeles in January, claiming 29 lives. “This is mankind's oldest building material,” he explained, “modified only by the introduction of one tool, a robot.” He also emphasized the dangers of modern building materials, noting that the recent fires destroyed structures made from plastics—highly toxic substances—and led to an ongoing water crisis in Los Angeles.
Desert X, which runs through May 11, continues to offer a platform for artists to address the most pressing global issues through the unique lens of the desert environment.
With AFP
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