As an international roster of artists converges in the Coachella Valley, the landscape becomes a canvas for the exhibition’s two-month run
Words by ELIZABETH VARNELL
Photography by LANCE GERBER
The Coachella Valley’s site-specific international art exhibition, DESERT X, is back with situated-in-nature work by Agnes Denes, Sanford Biggers, Alison Saar, Raphael Hefti, Jose Dávila, Ronald Rael, Sarah Meyohas, and a roster of creatives. Our collective effect on the land continues to inspire those selected by the exhibition’s artistic director, Neville Wakefield, and co-curator Kaitlin Garcia-Maestas. It features timelines of the past and future, emerging technology, and the role of the elements themselves, from bursts of wind to unabating sunlight. The life cycle of plants animates Denes’ The Living Pyramid at Sunnylands Center & Gardens, while Biggers’ Unsui (Mirror) sculptures reflect the freedom and interconnection symbolized by clouds. Dávila’s marble blocks composing The Act of Being Together crossed the Mexico border to reside in the U.S., calling to mind the architectural works of ancient civilizations while looking at the future. Saar’s Soul Service Station, made from salvaged materials, is a place for reflection, pausing, and healing. March 8–May 11. desertx.org.
Feature image: John Gerrard’s Western Flag (Spindletop, Texas) 2017, at Desert X 2019.
This story originally appeared in the Spring 2025 issue of C Magazine.
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