Desert X, the recurring site-specific, international art exhibition, has unveiled large-scale installations by artists Kimsooja and Kapwani Kiwanga, as as part of the organization’s fifth edition now on view, free and open to all, at sites across the Coachella Valley, California through May 11, 2025.
Completing the exhibition of eleven artists from Asia, Europe, the Americas, and the Middle East, To Breathe – Coachella Valley by Kimsooja invites an interaction with the essential elements of the desert: the texture of sand underfoot, the air we breathe, and the light around us. Drawing inspiration from bottaris, the fabric-encased bundles of belongings prominent in her work and in Korean culture, she describes this installation as a “bottari of light.” By wrapping the glass surface in a unique optical film, the physical architecture is transformed into a dynamic spectrum of light and color. The work, sited in Desert Hot Springs, reflects its counterpart work in the desert of AlUla, Saudi Arabia while also acknowledging the historical origins of the Light and Space movement on the West Coast of the U.S.
In the desert, where concepts of shelter, freedom, expansiveness, and enclosure have shaped midcentury dreams. Kapwani Kiwanga’s Plotting Rest, a pavilion-like structure reflects on the iconic midcentury design found in Palm Springs, signaling protection while offering none. Its roof, a lattice made of interlocking triangles, hovers overhead, allowing the elements to pass through and casting ever-changing shadows on the ground. Inspired by the quilting motif known as “flying geese,” this pattern resonates with the contested narratives of the Underground Railroad, serving as an encrypted guidance system for those fleeing slavery toward the perceived freedom of the North. Kiwanga’s sculpture, located by the Palm Springs Visitor Center, fosters contemplation and hope while reminding us that history is marked by successive migrations.
Curated by Artistic Director Neville Wakefield and Co-curator Kaitlin Garcia-Maestas, the exhibition activates the desert landscape through works by artists who provide us with alternative ways of looking at a world increasingly encircled by the transformational effects of nature and humanity. Adopting both material, architectural forms and the elusive and the immaterial to delve into ideas of temporality and nonlinear narratives of desert time, the works invite us to glean wisdom from the desert’s vast knowledge. Participating artists who also include Sanford Biggers, Jose Dávila, Agnes Denes, Raphael Hefti, Sarah Meyohas, Ronald Rael, Alison Saar, and Muhannad Shono form a space where ancestral wisdom intertwines and collides with contemporary visions for our collective future. Architecture, the most visible evidence of our transformative presence, is the adopted form of many of the projects – both pavilion-like and prosaic – while immateriality and elusive forms of wind and light signal the transformative effects, not just of humans, but of nature upon the landscape.
On March 29 and 30, 2025 join Desert X artists and curators for a series of conversations around topics of collective healing, hope, and sustainable land-based futures.
PUBLIC PROGRAMMING | MARCH 29 AND 30, 2025
Programs are free but space is limited. Please RSVP for each of the programs below.
SATURDAY, MARCH 29, 2025
Broken Boxes Podcast: Cannupa Hanska Luger and Gerald Clarke
Join Cannupa Hanska Luger and Gerald Clarke in conversation with Co-curator Kaitlin Garcia-Maestas for a live Broken Boxes Podcast recording.
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Thompson Palm Springs
414 N Palm Canyon Dr
Palm Springs
RSVP to Cannupa Hanska Luger and Gerald Clarke
SUNDAY MARCH 30, 2025
Walk and Talk: Part 1
A self-driving tour of Alison Saar, Jose Dávila, and Sanford Bigger’s installations will take place with special guests and team. Arrive early for your morning coffee by Mentosa, service from 8:00 – 10:00 AM.
9:30 – 11:30 AM
Various locations
**Download the Desert X app for the installation map
Sanford Biggers and Alison Saar in Conversation
Join us for a conversation with Sanford Biggers and Alison Saar moderated by Co-curator Kaitlin Garcia-Maestas about their works at Desert X 2025
12:30 – 1:30 PM
James O. Jessie Desert Highland Unity Center
480 W Tramview Rd
Palm Springs