Closer Look at Coachella's Art Playground
Featuring a fresh crop of large-scale, kinetic installations.
Weekend Two of Coachella is heating up in Indio, California, and amid the sonic pulse and creative chaos of the live performances, art takes on a life of its own with the desert as its stage. Curated by Public Art Company in collaboration with longtime Goldenvoice Art Director Paul Clemente, this year’s art lineup invites festivalgoers into moments of stillness, play and surreal wonder as they journey between stages.
As returning favorites from Robert Bose, Do LaB, Don Kennell, Raices Cultura and NEWSUBSTANCE made a comeback, a fresh crop of installations has also taken root. Let’s take a look at the newly commissioned works at this year’s festival.
Take Flight
Lance Gerber
Lance Gerber
Lance Gerber
Lance Gerber
Lance Gerber
London-based design studio Isabel + Helen unveiled a 60-foot kinetic sculpture inspired by 19th-century flying machines. Dozens of wind-powered turbines spin hypnotically as the desert breeze moves through the structure, celebrating the harmony between natural energy and the spirit of adventure. The piece expands on the studio’s energy-generating wearables, encouraging tactile and environmental interaction.
Taffy
Lance Gerber
Lance Gerber
Lance Gerber
Lance Gerber
Lance Gerber
Canadian designer Stephanie Lin presents a towering installation made up of seven cylindrical forms, the tallest reaching 50 feet. Clad in scalloped mesh and painted in tones inspired by midcentury desert modernism, the sculpture shifts with the sun’s movement, casting moiré patterns across the Empire Polo Club grounds. Beneath the colorful canopy, curved benches welcome visitors to sit beneath and move through the sculpture, encouraging a quiet connection with its blooming form.
Le Grand Bouquet
Lance Gerber
Lance Gerber
Lance Gerber
Lance Gerber
Parisian studio Uchronia channels the flower-power aesthetics of the 1960s and ’70s with Le Grand Bouquet, an inflatable ode to the local flora. The central 32-foot-tall bouquet anchors the installation, surrounded by six smaller clusters, each composed of three inflatable blooms. Referencing the desert’s seasonal wildflower displays, the work offers color, nostalgia, and a welcoming space for communal lounging beneath its petal-like shade.
