{"id":3611,"date":"2017-03-03T20:00:00","date_gmt":"2017-03-03T20:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/architizer.wpengine.com\/desert-x\/"},"modified":"2022-05-31T07:27:38","modified_gmt":"2022-05-31T11:27:38","slug":"desert-x","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/architizer.com\/blog\/inspiration\/industry\/desert-x\/","title":{"rendered":"California\u2019s \u201cDesert X\u201d Exhibition Is an Architecture-Lover\u2019s Dream"},"content":{"rendered":"

Architecture and art\u2013loving Instagrammers have been swooning over this mirror-clad construction all week. Reflecting the Coachella Valley\u2019s desert landscape, with its rugged mountains and stunning sunsets, the luminous fa\u00e7ade of this California ranch\u2013style house is not a misplaced piece of suburbia, but an art installation that acts as an architectural kaleidoscope.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

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Mirage<\/i><\/a>, the project\u2019s fitting name, is by artist Doug Aitken<\/a> and forms part of \u201cDesert X<\/a>,\u201d a new outdoor exhibition set just outside of Palm Springs, which opened this week. Seventeen artists including Aitken have sprinkled the valley with site-specific land-art installations as part of the first edition of this biennial-style showcase.<\/p>\n

Given the area\u2019s arid, vast environment, site-specificity is a loose term. The landscape gives way to standout structures like Mirage<\/i> and unique interpretations of the natural surroundings. The artists employed very different techniques, using the land as the canvas for their work. This massive, open-air art gallery serves as scavenger hunt as viewers wind around the 45-mile route looking for more moments of architectural awe and artistic wonder.<\/p>\n

Check out some more of the installations below:<\/p>\n

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The Circle of Land and Sky<\/b><\/a> by Phillip K. Smith III<\/a><\/p>\n

Like Aitken\u2019s Mirage<\/i>, Phillip K. Smith III uses the colors of the landscape and sky as the focal point in this circular field of 300 reflectors. Smith angled each post at a 10-degree slant, digging them into the desert floor. The project reacts to the light as it passes over the mirrored surfaces.<\/p>\n

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I AM<\/b><\/a> by Tavares Strachan<\/a><\/p>\n

In I AM<\/i>, Bahamian artist Tavares Strachan installed neon light tubes in over 400 small trenches across a 100,000-square-foot plot of land. With the valley being one of the region\u2019s busiest flight paths, viewers not only experience the message from the ground, but from above, as well.<\/p>\n

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Hollow Earth<\/b><\/a> by Glenn Kaino<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/a>Inside Glenn Kaino\u2019s subtle shed structure is a virtually never-ending tunnel made of glass mirrors. The project creates the illusion of descending deep into the Earth, exploring the history of tunnel-making and forcing viewers to stare at themselves in the reflection below.<\/p>\n

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Visible Distance<\/b><\/a> by Jennifer Bolande<\/a><\/p>\n

Jennifer Bolande\u2019s billboards act as puzzle pieces against their mountainous backdrops. When driving along Gene Autry Trail, viewers encounter her collection of billboards that feature photographs of the mountains in perfect alignment with the horizon.<\/p>\n

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Curves and Zigzags<\/b><\/a> by Claudia Comte<\/a><\/p>\n

Curves and Zigzags<\/i> showcases Claudia Comte\u2019s fixation on creating two-dimensional paintings on three-dimensional structures. This large wall produces a wave-like quality that feels as though it could have no end point.<\/p>\n

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One I Call<\/b><\/a> by Sherin Guirguis<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/a>Sherin Guirguis\u2019s sculpture, One I Call<\/i>, is inspired by Egyptian desert pigeon houses. The artist packed long sandbags with soil to construct the project\u2019s base and used mountain spring water and clay from a nearby quarry.<\/p>\n

Each of the large-scale installations of \u201cDesert X\u201d takes advantage of the desert\u2019s physical and cultural landscape in an effort to challenge the history of western expansion. Throughout the exhibition, there is a widespread use of reflecting materials and an emphasis on constructing physical illusions. This demonstrates the valley\u2019s limitless ability to manifest distinctive, custom moments for people who come to visit. Without the confines of a museum\u2019s walls and no path for guidance, \u201cDesert X\u201d is an immersive, personal experience that can\u2019t be replicated anywhere else.<\/p>\n

\u201cDesert X\u201d is on view until April 30. Expect to see more of these bold art installations pop up on your Instagram feed during Coachella next month.<\/p>\n

Images by <\/i>Lance Gerber<\/i><\/a> courtesy of the artists and \u201cDesert X\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Here are seven must-see art pieces from Coachella Valley’s \u201cDesert X.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"architizer_featured_type":"projects","architizer_featured_image":"1963540","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,3],"tags":[],"architizer_project":[],"architizer_brand":[],"architizer_firm":[],"architizer_product":[],"class_list":["post-3611","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-industry","category-inspiration"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nCalifornia\u2019s \u201cDesert X\u201d Exhibition Is an Architecture-Lover\u2019s Dream - Architizer Journal<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/architizer.com\/blog\/inspiration\/industry\/desert-x\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"California\u2019s \u201cDesert X\u201d Exhibition Is an Architecture-Lover\u2019s Dream - 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