Desert X 2025 Unveils Eleven Art Installations in Coachella Valley

COACHELLA VALLEY, CA — The latest edition of Desert X, an international site-specific art exhibition, opened on March 8, 2025, featuring eleven art installations spread across California‘s Coachella Valley. This year’s exhibition, which is free and open to the public until May 11, is curated by Artistic Director Neville Wakefield and co-curator Kaitlin Garcia Maestas.

Desert X invites artists from various regions, including Asia, Europe, and the Americas, to explore themes of transformation influenced by both nature and humanity. Each installation offers a unique perspective on the interplay between the vast desert landscape and the evolving narrative of human presence.

One of the standout pieces is Sanford Biggers’ “Unsui (Mirror),” a towering sculpture of sequined clouds reaching over 30 feet, located at the James O. Jessie Highland Unity Center in Palm Springs. This installation draws inspiration from Buddhism and symbolizes the connection between natural forces and cultural narratives. Biggers described his work as “embodying unencumbered movement,” reflecting the ever-changing dynamics of the desert environment.

Another notable installation is José Dávila’s “The Act of Being Together,” featuring massive, unaltered marble blocks sourced from a quarry near the U.S.-Mexico border. Dávila’s piece challenges viewers to consider the relationships between absence and presence, as well as the archaeological echoes of ancient civilizations, evoking a deeper connection between history and contemporary land use.

Agnes Denes’ “The Living Pyramid” adds an environmental dimension to the exhibition. Located at the Sunnylands Center & Gardens, this sculptural work is planted with native vegetation and transforms over time as the plants grow and decay, illustrating the life cycle inherent in all natural systems.

Cannupa Hanska Luger’s “G.H.O.S.T. Ride” extends his Future Ancestral Technologies (FAT) series, exploring sustainable futures through speculative narratives. This installation features a nomadic vehicle constructed from repurposed materials designed to mirror its desert surroundings, inviting reflection on coexistence with the land.

Each installation, such as Raphael Hefti’s interactive work, “Five Things You Can’t Wear on TV,” uses materials to explore perception, oscillating between the visual and the spatial. Hefti describes how the structure vibrates in the wind to create an ephemeral horizon, raising questions about how we experience light and space in the natural world.

Artist Sarah Meyohas’s immersive piece, “Truth Arrives in Slanted Beams,” leverages light manipulation to create engaging optical illusions for visitors. Each mirrored panel offers different reflective truths, showcasing the intersection of art, technology, and nature, while simultaneously paying homage to ancient timekeeping methods.

Alison Saar‘s “Soul Service Station” invites visitors to experience communal artistry intertwined with spiritual narratives. This installation incorporates salvaged materials and features a life-size guardian figure, serving as a sanctuary for reflection and healing.

Desert X 2025 not only showcases each artist’s vision but also resonates with the broader themes of climate adaptation and indigenous futures, encouraging a deeper understanding of the layered complexities present in the desert landscape. As attendees engage with the installations, they are invited to consider their own relationships with nature and the implications of human activity in an ever-evolving desert context.

The exhibition will remain on view until May 11, 2025, with additional installations set to open on March 15. For specific details about each artist’s work and hours, visitors are encouraged to check with the Desert X website.