Desert X

I think I see a mirage...house.

Mirage House by Doug Aitken

Desert X was an art exhibition scattered around Coachella Valley from February 25th through April 30th. It featured 16 artists that used the desert landscape as part of their canvas. You might have seen these photos take over your Instagram feed, if you follow me on there, then you know I couldn't resist visiting and getting a few shots. What I enjoyed most about this exhibit, was the "treasure hunting" aspect to it all. In order to find the location of each installation, you had to visit the Desert X website where they would provide you coordinates and then, the fun starts!

In this social media age, it seems that art installations are becoming more and more frequent, or maybe we get that impression because it's more visible to us. There's something about visiting these temporary hot spots that makes you feel special, knowing that what you're experiencing, will not be experienced by everyone. Not to make it sound like some sort of superiority complex, but more in the sense of getting to experience something that will soon only be a memory.

The Circle of Land and Sky by Phillip K Smith III

I really enjoyed Desert X, I enjoyed Desert X so much, I made the trek out to Palm Springs three times! The first trip I saw "Curves and Zigzags" and "The Mirage House". The Mirage House, probably being the most iconic of all the exhibitions, was so incredible to see in person. Afive roomed house, almost like a maze of mirrors, surrounds you with the reflections of the desert sky and majestic mountains. When you're walking up to it, you can't believe that someone created something so incredible, knowing that it will be eventually taken down. I used to wonder why someone would want to live in such a place like Palm Spring, but sitting on top of a hill, with the reflections of nature bouncing all around me, and the void of the normal city noise that I've become accustomed to, I understood why. You feel at peace.

My second visit to Desert X, I visited "The Circle of Land and Sky" and "I Am" and for the third visit I just wanted to see everything again. When I first visited "I Am" I didn't realize that the name is what you see from the sky. The exhibit is so massive it takes a few minutes of walking around until you realize there's a pattern to all these lights.

I didn't get to see all the exhibits. I kind of regret not using the third visit to see something different, but then again, I'm very happy I got to see Mirage House one more time.

Thank you Desert X for the awesome experience. I hope I get to see you next year!