Desert X transforms the Palm Springs Landscape

Desert X, an art exhibition, has transformed the desert landscape of the Coachella Valley through the site-specific works of 16 artists. The desert is the canvas for established and emerging artists to engage with the unique climate, history, culture and social issues of the area.

The striking and arid environment is no stranger to artists. Spread across an area of 45 miles, Desert X is perhaps one of the largest collections of art in the Coachella Valley.

“It’s a rich and diverse area with a lot of history and stories and what we wanted to do was bring people’s attention to it through art,” said Desert X artistic director Neville Wakefield.

Wakefield collaborated with each of the artists, allowing them to choose an area of the landscape they were drawn to and could work with.

“It doesn’t have a curatorial direction,” said Wakefield in an interview with Artnet. ”It’s more about the place acting as curator. We did tons of site visits with artists just exploring the area until they figured out what resonated with them and then we worked with the artist to amplify each piece and materialize it. They are all such different experiences, the one thing that I am most proud of with this show is the diversity of the experiences that are offered.”

The Design X artists include Doug Aitken, Lita Albuquerque, Jennifer Bolande, Will Boone, Claudia Comte, Jeffrey Gibson, Sherin Guirguis, Norma Jeane, Glenn Kaino, Gabriel Kuri, Armando Lerma, Richard Prince, Rob Pruitt, Julião Sarmento, Phillip K. Smith III, and Tavares Strachan.

The installation runs through until April 30th and should be on the cards for art enthusiasts, desert lovers or anyone seeking an experience that will move and challenge them. Desert X s a free exhibition with no ticket required, but before you plan your visit to the Palm Springs desert, check the best times to view some of the installations.

For more information head to Desert X.