The Desert X art biennial began its fifth edition in the Greater Palm Springs area on March 8, 2025. The event features large-scale outdoor works by international artists displayed across 40 miles of the Southern California desert.
Kaitlin Garcia-Maestas, co-curator of Desert X, said that the exhibition “not only commissions some of the most significant outdoor artworks being created today but also pushes the boundaries of art, nature, and community.”
Since its start in 2017, Desert X has taken place in the Coachella Valley. This year’s edition includes installations from artists representing Mexico, Switzerland, Saudi Arabia, and the United States. Artworks are on view at sites in Palm Springs, Palm Desert, Desert Hot Springs, and nearby areas.
Neville Wakefield, artistic director for Desert X, stated: “As much as the desert is a state of place, it is also a state of mind. Its borders are not singular but multiple, and it is defined as much by social geography as physical boundary.”
Nine installations opened on March 8 with two more debuting on March 15. The exhibition is open from sunrise to sunset with free admission. Visitors should expect some walking to reach certain pieces; the farthest artwork requires an 0.8-mile walk from parking. Those needing assistance can email info@desertx.org.
A map showing installation locations is available on the Desert X website or through their mobile app. Printed guides and maps can be picked up at the Desert X Hub inside Thompson Palm Springs hotel.
The current installations include:
– “The Act of Being Together” by Jose Dávila uses marble blocks sourced from Mexico placed near a windmill farm in Desert Hot Springs.
– “SoulService Station” by Alison Saar transforms salvaged materials into a gas station-themed oasis featuring a life-sized attendant sculpture and an audio poem by Harryette Mullen.
– “G.H.O.S.T. Ride” by Cannupa Hanska Luger places a mirrored VW van in a canyon to explore Indigenous innovation with technology.
– “Unsui (Mirror)” by Sanford Biggers presents tall sequin-covered clouds inspired by Buddhist concepts.
– “Adobe Oasis” by Ronald Rael uses robotic 3D printing to build mud-based structures highlighting sustainable housing ideas.
– “The Living Pyramid” by Agnes Denes at Sunnylands Center combines native plants within a pyramid structure reflecting natural cycles.
– “Five things you can’t wear on TV” by Raphael Hefti stretches polymer fabric across Cap Homme/Ralph Adams Park to create an artificial horizon line that shifts with wind.
– “Truth Arrives in Slanted Beams” by Sarah Meyohas lets visitors interact with reflectors projecting words onto walls using patterns formed by light refraction.
– “What Remains” by Muhannad Shono arranges strips of fabric among wooden posts to represent landscapes shaped by wind.
Desert X continues until May 11.
