Palm Springs has always been known for it’s warm sunny weather, relaxing vibes, and incredible amount of mid-century modern design. Now, it’s on the fast track for also being a world class art world destination. It’s been a little over a month now that Desert X has been open to the public. Desert X is a curated exhibition of site-specific installations from established and emerging artists that are placed throughout the Coachella Valley.
Here is a video that explains a little more:
A few weeks ago I went out to Palm Springs to check it out and I’m so glad I did!
The first thing you do is go to the Ace Hotel, get a catalog and map, and from there it’s kind of like a scavenger hunt. A few of the installations are in Palm Springs, and then the rest are scattered in the nearby cities. Most are fairly obvious to find, and then there are a few where you have to walk out a little, but because it’s a popular attraction, just look for parked cars and people walking and you’ll know you’re in the right spot!
Here are a few of the installations I saw in person:
Doug Aitken “Mirage”
The entire house is mirrored! (inside and out)
Jennifer Bolande “Visible Distance / Second Sight”
This was one of the more fun ones because you had to time it right when you drove by to snap a picture.
Tavares Strachan “I Am”
This was one of my favorites as the field of glowing neon was so striking. NOTE: it’s only open at night from 7:00pm to 10:00pm daily.
Phillip K Smith III “The Circle of Land and Sky”
I highly recommend checking out Desert X, but you’ll have to hurry as it ends April 30th, 2017. Here’s a link that gives directions on how to see the sites in one day.