Unique Desert X Installations to Explore with Your Dog

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7 Mar, 2023

Unique Desert X Installations to Explore with Your Dog

Desert X is back for 2023! Taking place from March 4 through May 7, Desert X is a collection of 12 art installations scattered throughout the Coachella Valley. While a few of the exhibitions are in locations that are not dog friendly, the majority are somewhere out in the desert. This makes for a fun afternoon of exploration with your pup. It’s like going on a treasure hunt. Cooper and I visited five installations on a very windy day. Both of us had a ball. Read on to find out more.

A collection of freight cars in the middle of the desert is Matt Johnson's contribution to Desert X.
Cooper posing in front of Matt Johnson's Sleeping Figure Desert X art installation.
Sleeping Figure by Matt Johnson

Desert X Presents Sleeping Figure by Matt Johnson

Coop and I climbed into our truck and headed down the I-10 to the first exhibit on our adventure. Sleeping Figure by Matt Johnson is located just past Whitewater off of Exit 110 on Railroad Avenue. Parking is easy, and it’s about a half-mile walk to the artwork from the lot. To get close to the installation, you must navigate through some desert scrub.

Up close, it is pretty amazing. Sleeping Figure partly represents the recent breakdown of the supply chain and the economic chaos it created. I did wonder how they got the shipping containers out to the middle of nowhere. It appears as if a giant hand dropped them from the sky.

Hylozoic/Desires is an art installation featuring loudspeakers on a pole
Namak Nazar by Hylozoic/Desires

Namak Nazar Was Next on Our List

Back on the freeway, we went west towards Desert Hot Springs to our next stop. Off of Worsley Road between Pierson and Mission Lakes Boulevards, we found Namak Nazar by Hylozoic/Desires. This exhibit you can see and hear from the street.

Picture a wooden pole with loudspeakers as branches. Salt particles climb up the pole. The concept of the piece is based on an imaginary conspiracy theory centered around Namak Nazar, a particle of salt. Our future is the doom of climate change and redemption is offered by looking inward.

I thought the music flowing from the speakers was haunting. Cooper enjoyed the smells of the desert. Time to move on.

Flat silver squares atop mechanical holders in the desert are Mario Garcia Torres" contribution to Desert X
Cooper posing in front of Searching for the Sky
Searching for the Sky (While Maintaining Equilibrium) by Mario Garcia Torres

A Quick Jaunt to Searching for the Sky (While Maintaining Equilibrium)

Nine minutes later down Pierson Boulevard, we arrived at Searching for the Sky (While Maintaining Equilibrium) by Mario Garcia Torres. A short stroll down a sandy trail led us to a collection of silver, square panels atop black boxes. On closer inspection, the black boxes looked like the mechanisms that rotate a mechanical bull.

This installation is a reflection of the cowboy culture of the American West, reminding us that the desert is beautiful yet also dangerous. It speaks of how attempting to control nature leads to a risk of failure similar to trying to harness a bull.

Cooper was happy to see other pups exploring Desert X.

Pioneer is one of 12 art installations of Desert X. It features a female bust upon a kneeling horse in the desert.
Pioneer by Tschabalala Self

Pioneer Was Our Last Stop in Desert Hot Springs

Pioneer by Tschabalala Self is located on Bubbling Wells Road off of Dillon Road in Desert Hot Springs. A dirt road leads to the parking area which is maneuverable by most cars.

This sculpture features a female torso riding a kneeling horse. It represents the indigenous Native and African women whose bodies and labor built American growth. Celebrating the feminine spirit and the fluidity of identity, we are reminded that we are born from water even in the desert.

Find this exhibit within a palm oasis.

Immersion by Gerald Clarke is an interactive installation where visitors can walk a path similar to a labyrinth through the art. Coop is pictured on one end.
Immersion by Gerald Clarke

Off to Palm Springs for Another Desert X Exhibit

Immersion by Gerald Clarke is at the James O. Jessie Desert Highland Unity Center off of Tramview Road in Palm Springs. Parking is in a paved lot at the center.

Best described as a large gameboard in the middle of the desert, this artwork has a maze-like path running through it. The “board” is made of fibers reminiscent of Cahuilla basket weaving that reflect the cultural history of Native Americans in the Coachella Valley. Visitors may walk along the path and discover new ways of viewing the surrounding landscape.

Cooper and I decided to call it a day after walking the path through Immersion. Our trek to five of the Desert X installments had taken just over 3 hours which was a great adventure for a Sunday afternoon. We stopped at one of my favorites, Luchador Brewing Company, for a late lunch in Cathedral City and then headed home.

Some Tips to Plan Your Own Desert X Adventure

  • Pack a jacket! Temperatures can drop quickly especially near Whitewater, and windy days can get cold.
  • Download the Desert X app. A handy map is on the app which gives descriptions and directions to each installment.
  • Not all exhibits are dog-friendly. One is located within Sunnylands which only allows service animals.
  • Respect the desert. Make sure to take any trash back out with you. Be careful when walking through desert flora.
  • You can pick up a printed program and purchase Desert X swag at the Desert X Hub at the Ace Hotel in Palm Springs. Hours are Friday 1:30pm-5:00pm, Saturday 10:00am-5:00pm and Sunday 10:00am-5:00pm. Volunteers are available to help plan your Desert X visit.
  • Wear comfortable shoes, preferably closed toe. Most sites will have you walking along dirt paths.

What was your favorite Desert X installation? Tell us about it in the comment section below.