Desert X 2023: What we know about the featured artists

The outdoor art biennial Desert X is continuing its focus on social and environmental themes featured in previous editions when it returns this spring with art by 11 international artists from Europe, North America and South Asia.

Founder Susan Davis said that artists have been provided with a “non-judgmental platform” since the biennial began in 2017 to create an international conversation.

“For 2023, visitors will encounter immersive works that respond to the global impact of climate change, economic challenges and the profound social transformations we are confronting,” Davis said.

Some installations during the March 4 to May 7 event, presented at multiple locations throughout the Coachella Valley, will require audience participation.

“Immersion” by Cahuilla artist and Anza resident Gerald Clarke, whose work has been exhibited at the Palm Springs Art Museum, is a traditional Cahuilla basket as a giant interactive game board. Mexico City artist Héctor Zamora’s conversational entry “Chimera” will speak to the invisibility of local street vendors. The art will feature balloon sculptures and interaction with vendors “in a space of dignity.”

The exhibition is curated by Artistic Director Neville Wakefield and co-curator Diana Campbell.

Here is a complete list of the presenting artists.

• Rana Begum (Bangladesh)

• Lauren Bon (U.S.)

• Gerald Clarke (U.S.)

• Paloma Contreras Lomas (Mexico)

• Torkwase Dyson (U.S.)

• Mario García Torres (Mexico)

• Hylozoic/Desires, aka Himali Singh Soin David Soin Tappeser (India/Germany)

• Matt Johnson (U.S.)

• Tschabalala Self (U.S.)

• Marina Tabassum (Bangladesh)

• Héctor Zamora (Mexico)

A map with exact locations will be available on desertx.org and on the Desert X 2023 app starting March 4. The installations are free and normally open from sunrise to sunset, but hours and access may vary. Visitors also will be able to get maps and information at a "hub" at Ace Hotel & Swim Club, 701 E. Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs.

The 2021 exhibition was planned for February, but got postponed to the following month due to a surge of COVID-19 cases. According to Desert X, they logged 650,000 audience visits.

Tlingit-Unangax̂ artist and musician Nicholas Galanin's "Never Forget" behind the Palm Springs Visitors Center, which was a reference to the Hollywood sign and read "Indian Land," was popular with locals and tourists.

Other notable artworks included Eduardo Sarabia's maze made of petates, which are traditional rugs woven from palm fibers; Joshua Tree artist Kim Stringfellow's "Jackrabbit Homestead," a replica of Catherine Venn's homestead and experiences featured in a 1950 issue of Desert Magazine; and Saudi Arabia artist Zahrah Alghamdi's "What Lies Behind the Walls," a wall made of stacked dyed slabs of soil and cements that formed mesmerizing patterns from afar and up close.

The exhibition has drawn 'scrutiny' from local elected officials

Even though Desert X is a popular local event, the exhibition has drawn scrutiny from elected officials in the Coachella Valley.

Desert Biennial, the nonprofit behind Desert X, partnered with the Royal Commission for Al Ula on a 2020 exhibition in northwest Saudi Arabia — an alliance that drove some of Desert X board members to resign over concerns about the kingdom's human rights record. Citing similar concerns, the Palm Springs City Council declined to sponsor the art exhibition in 2021.

When the Palm Desert council approved its 2021 sponsorship by a 3-2 vote, dissenting member Sabby Jonathan argued that supporting Desert X would be condoning the governmental actions of Saudi Arabia, where LGBTQ residents face severe persecution.

Local Desert X officials pushed back on his assertion, stating the nonprofit did not pay for the Saudi Arabian show and that any contributions from Palm Desert to the program are used only for local installations.

On Thursday, The Palm Desert City Council unanimously agreed to sponsor Desert X 2023 with a $25,000 contribution. the entire council approved the $25,000 sponsorship, with no discussion or public comments on the item.

Several other valley cities, including Palm Springs, Coachella, Rancho Mirage, Desert Hot Springs and Indio, are listed as "supporting cities" on a Desert X 2023 presentation included in the council’s staff report.

Previous reporting by Desert Sun staff writer Thomas Coulter was used in this report.

Desert Sun reporter Brian Blueskye covers arts and entertainment. He can be reached at brian.blueskye@desertsun.com or on Twitter at @bblueskye.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Desert X 2023: A complete list of featured artists