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Art in the Desert

Surreal and often shrouded in a certain mysticism, the desert has long provided artists the space and place to think beyond the confines of mainstream society. Discover how the desert gives shape and form to an artist's creativity.

Eduardo Sarabia's "The Passenger" is a maze made out of Mexican petates and references journeys in the desert, from the exodus to immigrant journeys.
Desert X 2021
Episode
56:34
Artbound

Desert X 2021

Desert X 2021 Dispatches

Nicholas Galanin's "Never Forget" installation consists of the words "Indian" and "Land" writ large like the Hollywood sign.
Artbound
Hollywood Sign-Like Artwork Asks Difficult Land Rights Questions
Christopher Myers' "The Art of Taming Horses" is installed at Tahquitz Canyon Way in Palm Springs for Desert X 2021.
Artbound
Six Sculptures Pay Homage to Forgotten Cowboys of Color
Zahrah Alghamdi's installation "What Lies Behind the Walls" for Desert X 2021 stands in Desert Hot Springs.
Artbound
Artist's Wall in the Desert is All About Connections
Xaviera Simmons' billboard art installation, "Because You Know Ultimately We Will Band a Militia," for Desert X 2021 stands along the Gene Autry Trail. Four billboards stand in a line. The one closest to the foreground reads, "You are entering the reparations framework." A car drives down the road that runs along the billboards.
Artbound
Palm Springs Billboards Prompt Heavy Road Trip Conversations
Kim Stringfellow's Jackrabbit Homestead created for Desert X 2021 is a 122-square-foot cabin
Artbound
What a 122-Square-Foot Cabin Says About Life in the Modern World
A triangular maze made out of Mexican petate created by Eduardo Sarabia is part of the Desert X 2021 exhibition.
Artbound
A Maze in the Desert Depicts the Risky, Uncertain Reality for Immigrants

Desert X 2021 Artists

Xaviera Simmons and the Construct of Whiteness
2:13
Artbound
Xaviera Simmons and the Construct of Whiteness
Kim Stringfellow's Jackrabbit Homestead
2:00
Artbound
Kim Stringfellow's Jackrabbit Homestead
Nicholas Galanin's Indianland
2:09
Artbound
Nicholas Galanin's Indianland
Eduardo Sarabia Makes Passengers of Us All
1:55
Artbound
Eduardo Sarabia Makes Passengers of Us All
Vivian Suter: A Place Has Feelings
8:54
Artbound
Vivian Suter: A Place Has Feelings
Alicja Kwade's Glaciers in the Desert
1:53
Artbound
Alicja Kwade's Glaciers in the Desert
Zahrah Alghamdi's "What Lies Beyond the Walls" uses materials from her home country of Saudi Arabia and also Coachella Valley.
1:57
Artbound
Zahrah Alghamdi's Wall Connects Two Deserts
Ghada Amer Excavates Women's Qualities
2:22
Artbound
Ghada Amer Excavates Women's Qualities
Christopher Myers Rethinks Monuments
2:05
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Christopher Myers Rethinks Monuments
Eduardo Sarabia Makes Passengers of Us All
1:55
Artbound
Eduardo Sarabia Makes Passengers of Us All
Serge Attukwei Clottey's Wishing Well
1:46
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Serge Attukwei Clottey's Wishing Well
Oscar Murillo's Frequencies
0:59
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Oscar Murillo's Frequencies

The Artist's Canvas

Mirage at Desert X by Doug Aitken | Still from shoot
51:30
Season 9 Episode 2
Artbound
Desert X
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Artbound
Desert X: Land Art at the Edge of the City
Go Down This Bunker in Homage to JFK
0:45
Artbound
Go Down This Bunker in Homage to JFK
Why Are There Chickens in This Desert X Mural?
1:06
Artbound
Why Are There Chickens in This Desert X Mural?
Hazel's Garden viewed from above | Joe Barrett
Artbound
Mysterious 'Invisible' Land Art Can Only Be Seen From Above
Art and Protest - Noah Purifoy
Artbound
Junk Dada: The Stories Behind Noah Purifoy's Joshua Tree Sculptures
Leonard Knight and Salvation Mountain: A Story of Love.
Desert, Folk Art, Love: A Visit to Salvation Mountain
Lita Albuquerque, "Spine of the Earth"
Artbound
Earthworks: Reflecting Art at the End of the 1980s
The former home of architect R. Lee Miller. The sign on the door says: "Shanti. Enter with Primitive Bare Feet." | Courtesy of Palm Springs Historical Society. All Rights Reserved.
Artbound
The Real-Life Hobbit Houses of Palm Springs and the Nearly-Forgotten Architect Who Created Them
Gregory Michael Hernandez, "Decalogue Chapel"
Artbound
Creating Art in the Desert? Conservation Groups Want You to Consider These Guidelines

Mojave Project's Excavations and Explorations

Guerre/Beckman Homestead | Photo by Kim Stringfellow.
Artbound
Jackrabbit Homestead: Artists, Off-Roaders, and the American Dream Writ Miniature
A ghost grid of the desolate federally-held lands of the Mojave Desert. | Kim Stringfellow
Artbound
The Territorial Urge and the Strange Places It Birthed
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Artbound
Gem-O-Rama: Mojave Playa Interventions, Part II
C-3PO and R2-D2 walk toward Jabba's Palace, which was filmed in Death Valley's Twenty Mule Team Canyon for this scene in “Episode VI: Return of the Jedi.” Lucasfilm, LTD.
Artbound
The Technicolor Desert: Cinema and the Mojave
Jim Wharff looking at papers beside the Middle Camp claim | Kim Stringfellow
Artbound
Inside the World of Recreational Miners
Dan Kreigh, a senior structural engineer at Scaled Composites, displays his scale model of SpaceShipOne. | Daniel Housman
Artbound
Making Astronauts in Mojave